sunrises and celebrations...

Walking the babies this morning we stopped for a moment to enjoy a beautiful sunrise.  Beau sat and soaked up the beauty, almost as if he could appreciate it. It was breathtaking.  It reminded me of a couple of poems and songs... all of them include if the sunrises tomorrow without me... All of them celebrate a person that has left this plane and letting you know they had a life worth celebrating and to honor it by continuing on with yours. 

Yesterday we honored our friend.  We celebrated his life with the people locally that he impacted by his mere presence, his essence.  As we pulled up to his Y, I was stunned beyond words.  His Y was his baby, he was and is it's heartbeat. The parking lot was filled to capacity.  At this Y, that translates into hundreds of cars, as fast as a spot opened it was refilled. This is definitely not a normal sight. 

Over the hours we spent there, I kept having the same thought, what a testament to a life well lived. This was the first of two memorials.  The fact that a double gymnasium could barely contain the people there to celebrate him, was a powerful thing.  People brought tokens of their memories to share with his family.  There were pictures everywhere the brought the sternest of people to tears, he was a larger than life person that was simply a humble servant.  

I was blessed to spend hours reconnecting with friends and colleagues from a long career that I have left behind.  It was awesome to reconnect with people around our shared memories and stories.  People that I haven't seen in years came.  I hugged so many dear friends, caught up and enjoyed the time with them, some we made tentative plans to meet up later after the heartache simmers for a bit.  To reconnect and enjoy one another's company once again. 

The sunrise this morning felt like a promise.  A gift.  I will probably not see many of the people again, we no longer travel in the same circles.  Yet each of them is a part of who I have become.  Most of those people impacted me in a very positive manner, they weren't meant to be part of my forever story, but they were part of my growth story. 

There were a few that I did not speak to, they also impacted me, but they represented the lessons I learned but will never repeat.  I learned to trust my instincts about people from them.  That number was very, very small.  Those lessons led to the greatest growth.  I knew that I had to learn those lessons to become a better version of myself, but once learned I no longer had need of those people in my life.  They are not a part of my future, they were simply a tool to become a better me. Tool has been utilized, and is useless now. 

As I walked that gym, shared memories, stories, love and reconnected with people I realized how blessed I was.  But even more, I realized how blessed and thankful I am.  I might have laughed a little when folks asked me what I was doing now.  Their faces when I proudly said "I take care of puppies and Hubs" was priceless.  I guess when you go from appearing to be a highly driven professional that works stupid hours to a puppy mom it appears to those still in the race to be a huge demotion in life.  Instead of the incredible promotion that it is. 

Those friends that have also walked away understood. They know that sometimes the greatest gift in the world is the ability to walk away from what isn't serving you and walk into what is elevating you. 

I'm not just a housewife.  I am not a domestic servant.  I am a homemaker.  I create a life for my husband and family.  I am busier than I've ever been, but in a way that fills the soul, if not the wallet. I wonder which currency is the better choice?

I think that I am quite content collecting sunrises, because some day the sun will rise without me here to acknowledge it's beauty.  And when that day comes, I hope that I will have impacted the lives I was meant to impact in the way that was my journey this lifetime. 

I am holding space with love for all of my dear friends and family that are struggling. I am offering hope, prayers and healing energy... 

Stay strong, savor the sunrises and make the absolute most of the moments until the day comes that the sunrises without you here... make a difference, if only in one life, at one time or in one moment... You may never realize the impact while you are here, but the ripples you leave behind will speak to who you were...

love and peace...