Bear with me for a moment or two. My thoughts are scattered and I need a moment to pull it all together. I know that someone out there will understand when I say, at times you must take a moment to breathe. The sheer force of exhaling seems to, not only open the lungs but the mind, spirit and every cell in the body. So here we go...
I shared with my readers that in August my aunt Angela passed away. Why is it that eight months later, her youngest daughter, by way of the most unusual, died?
And almost two months ago I spoke of my cousin Freddie who, in an untimely, unexpected way, died. Now his mother, my aunt, is in ICU battling blood clots in her lungs. Let's not forget the surprising deaths of singer Prince, Billy Paul and Les Wass, the advertising legend behind the Mister Softee ice cream jingle.
This much sadness is enough to make a person want to sit down and stop trying to live. Sometimes you say what's the use? Well after I cried a little and moped a lot, I realized one thing. All these people did something in their lives that they loved and or enjoyed.
For example, my aunt Angela loved to read and after a few twists and turns on life's road, finally found love and marriage. My cousin Freddie volunteered his time and energy to so many causes and people. Aunt Louise gave the most wonderful handmade Christmas ornaments that remain in my collection to this day. The singers sang, the jingle on a ice cream truck made children laugh, scream and beg for a surgery delight and Angela's daughter danced to her own tune.
When I think of things in this way, I can't be sad. I'll miss their physical presence but what each person presented in life, will remain in my soul forever.
So, it's time to move forward, not linger on the things I can't change and breathe.
"One way to break up any kind of tension is good deep breathing." Byron Nelson