I got home Tuesday night after being away for three weeks (including time on the road). I spent a couple weeks in AZ with my family. On April 2 we finally got to have a celebration of life for my mom. It went really well and was nice despite being very tough. When we started planning it we didn't think it would be as hard since it has been two years, but we still had a hard time. It was too much for my dad so my aunt actually did the majority of the work with my brother and me helping. And actually, long before Mom got sick she had written out what she wanted for her funeral and then after she was sick she wrote out smthg she wanted read at it. My brother did an amazing job reading it exactly as she wrote it and saying his own thing before he read it. A few people got up and shared stories, memories or what she meant to them. I wasn't going to speak and then I thought of things I wanted to say so I got up there and then got too emotional to finish. As soon as I said my mom was my best friend it was all over for me. We ended with a photo slideshow set to music and then had some time in the fellowship hall where we had set up photos on posterboards. We laid out suncatchers she had painted and pictures she had colored as well as Christmas trees my aunt and I had crocheted for people to take whatever they wanted as a remembrance of her. Her favorite day of the year was Christmas and she actively celebrated it all year so I wanted the trees for people to put up every year if they want. The following Saturday we buried her ashes. It was all very emotional but we are thankful to have that part finished now and feel we honored her wishes as best we could. I was able to be there with my dad for the two-year anniversary and also stayed for Easter with the family on Saturday and then church with Dad on Sunday before leaving that afternoon to come home. It was a good trip.
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"No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everybody on the couch."
"God, please help me to be the person my dog thinks I am."
"You can't run from your problems. But you'll both feel a little lighter when you get back." ~New Balance shoe ad
You don't have to be fast, just keep moving forward.
Note to self: You don't get to complain about things you won't work to change!
Word for 2024: Accomplished; Word for 2023: Grounded; Word for 2022: Consistency; Word for 2021: Mindfulness
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