I have to start by apologizing for my long absence.  Life tends to dictate my movements and non-movements these days.

At the end of June my dearest friend, confidante, amazing Woman in my life, my Mother-in-law transitioned into the next realm.

Patty’s journey was a beautiful one and broke my heart as it came to an end.  She lived such a full life with a wonderful marriage, loving friends and family, lots of travel, theater, bridge games, and weekly Grandma visits!  The kids adored Grandma!  She was the only adult who really got on the ground and played with them, engaged in their sweet stories and giggles.  At 6 and 8, they developed a special bond with Grandma and felt her loss in ways that no one can explain.

In life, there are so many lessons coming at us every day that either hits or misses us.  Caught up in the grind it’s easy for it all to blend and blur and before you know it, the lessons in death hit ya smack dab in the middle of your heart!  We have experienced the death of loved ones every year for the past 5 years and it stops us in our tracks every time.  We find ourselves riding on the waves of life, ups, and downs, taking for granted just the mere length of it.  Like as if we were surfing and suddenly we toppled over having to make the split decision to sink or swim.  For the past few months, we as a family, have been faced with this very decision!  Each of us, at different times, have found ourselves under the water struggling to stay afloat, but for the most part, we are getting right back up and treading water attempting to gain the courage to get back on that surfboard.

It has been an interesting journey of grief because now we have our little ones to answer to.  We have made it very clear to both of them that Mommy and Daddy do not have the answers to life and death’s mysteries, but regardless we will always be by their side to move through the pain and sadness of this loss.

I miss this incredible Woman!  She was a mother to me and loved me unconditionally!  Patty always checked in on me and took a real and genuine interest in who I was and what I was doing.  We had a mature and loving relationship, one that leaves me with fond memories and beautiful experiences.  A rare kind of bond.

The lessons I have learned from this amazing Woman are endless but few really resonate with me.  I will always try to live in each moment, taking pause to let it soak in and acknowledge the beauty around me and be thankful for it!  I will get ish done…create goals, envision my destiny and make it happen!  I will have fun and laugh and dance because I have had enough sadness and pain for a lifetime, it’s now time to have the life I deserve!  I will always bring my authentic self to each and every interaction big or small!

Getting back on that surfboard now and it feels so good!