5 years…

Dear Gregger,

5 years, 60 months, 1825 days, 43,800 hours, 2,628,000 minutes, 157,680,000 seconds since you’ve been gone. I thought it’d be different by now. Not quite so raw. But. It stings. Burns. Aches. The pain. Sadness. Tears. Far too pronounced. Wetting the corners of my eyes. My face. Emptying my heart of the pain. I’ll be okay. But. For the moment. I remember. You are gone. And the pain is real.

Somedays I can barely remember my telephone number. I search frantically for a word, a name. Blank. Nothing. But the vivid memories of August 30th, 2014? They are etched in my brain. I blink my eyes. I’m back on the beach. Black Rock. Maui. Sun shining. Ocean blue. Perfect Hawaiiian day. Who would have guessed? In a moment. A heartbeat. My whole world would change. Our whole world would change. But it did. And life would never be the same again. 

Grief is a journey to which there is no end. August 30th, 2014, I cautiously entered the uncharted emotions swirling in my brain. A torrent of emotions rushing inside. Shock. The raw shocking truth that you had taken your last breath. I would never hold your hand. Feel the touch of arms around me. Your lips on mine. We would never share another moment. Celebrations. Grandbabies. Travel. All of our dreams. Gone. Throughout the days and years these feelings rolled, tumbled, intensified, lessened, only to burst to the surface when I least expected. Triggers. Songs. Butterflies. Rainbows. I’d see you. And miss you more. And. Remember. Most of the time, I was alone in these thoughts. After time, no one wanted to hear it. It’d been long enough. Or that’s what you hear. Think. But grief. Real Grief. It. Never. Ends. It’s always tucked away, waiting to emerge. Pop its head out and remind you. Loneliness. Longing. And, most of all. Lost love. Yes, you. My lost love. 

Five years. So many changes. In my life. Our family. The world. I’ve grown. Changed. I believe for better. But I’d give it all back for one day with you. I know far too many who have suffered the same grief. I feel their pain. Heartache. Emptiness. I share my story. Hoping to help others brave their journey, eyes and heart open. Remove the expectations and embrace the reality. That’s what I’ve finally learned to do. If I can share and soften the pain for one person, I find purpose. Meaning. Something. For each of the 1825 days you’ve been gone, I’ve embraced these realities:

  • Reality: Grief is personal. There may be a beginning, but there is no end.
  • Reality: Just when all seems right with the world, it comes crashing down. No warning. And there I am again. Holy crap! Fighting for survival. I can do it. And I’ll do it again. And again. And maybe hundreds of agains. But each time I’ll come out stronger than before. Don’t fight it. I’m stronger than I believe I am.
  • Reality: There is no right, wrong, better or worse way to grieve. Whatever works for me is my best way! Do it. No one can tell ME how to grieve but ME!
  • Reality: Feel. Listen. Process. Don’t push my feelings aside. Pushing them away doesn’t mean they are gone. They are merely hiding deep within. Eventually they’ll emerge with the surge of a tsunami wave. I’ll be sucked in. Knocked down. And slowly claw my way to the surface again.Sometimes it takes moments. Other times days. Weeks. But. I have to learn to swim to the surface.
  • Reality: Remember. The good times. So many. Hang onto those in my heart. The love. The laughter. The tears. 40 years. We were lucky. Blessed. And those are the memories I cherish.
  • Reality: 5 years. 10 years. 20. A part of my heart will always ache for you. But I must find a place for joy. That does not mean I don’t miss you. Or love you less. It means  love and loss can walk beside one another. Together they can find a joyful place in my heart.
  • Reality: I will continue to tell your story. Our story. I will say your name. I will not bury that part of you. Talking about you, us, makes me smile. Warms my heart. Reminds me of love. Happiness. Joy. I will not push that aside. Ever. 
  • Reality: I will continue to believe that you are with me. The white butterfly. It’s not random. It knows when I need it most. And it’s there. The first time Ashley went through IVF. Every day. The white butterfly fluttered into my garden. Now. As we await the arrival of baby girl, the white butterfly is here again. I know it’s you. In Chinese symbology, a white butterfly symbolizes the soul of a departed loved one. It means angels are watching over you and that you are being protected. Thank you for being my angel. For loving, protecting always. 

5 years. It seems like a minute. And forever. I’ll blink my eyes. And soon it will be another 5 years. Life will keep changing. I will keep changing. But some things will never change. My heart. My love. And missing you. 

Happy Birthday to Me!

As I reflect on my birthday this year (and it’s a big one), I ask myself, “Is this what I thought this age would look like?” Where did I think I would be? This was most definitely not the life I’d planned. But. I am happy with the me I’ve become. So I believe that’s an amazing accomplishment. A gift to myself. Why did it take so long? Why couldn’t I have learned these things and lived this life years ago? Why couldn’t I have been this “me” for all of my life? Maybe it took this journey to get me to this place. Maybe it took life’s hard lessons to make me realize the simple things. And. I suppose that’s what life is really all about. Such simple wisdom. Such simple truth. Truth. That’s what I discovered. My truth. My being. My soul. Not what others wanted to see. Hear. Feel. But what I wanted to give. To myself. To others. The real me. Discovery. It wasn’t an easy journey. I searched. Looked back. Forward. Inside. Out. I relived moments. Questioned decisions. Opportunities. Conversations. And realized that each one was what it was. An opportunity for growth. Good, bad, painful, or heart wrenching as hell, they all brought me to this place. So. I’m grateful. 

I’ve learned to “breathe.” To take in the moments. To stop. Being with a child every day teaches you that life is so simple. I had three children. But life was complicated then. I was busy. Distracted. Sweating the small stuff. I wish I hadn’t. Cruz teaches me to stop. Be aware. To see the sharp needles on the cactus. To smell the flowers. See the colors. Splash in the puddle. Sing. Laugh. Simply. Let go. Child’s play. But. If we could all take moments and live like children for just a little while, we’d be so much happier. The joy is abundant. 

I celebrate this joy. The simple things. And all the love and laughter that can light up my life. I celebrate being alive. Because I know how very precious life is. 

My life lessons…

  1. Life is about choices and chances. The choices we make can determine the paths we take, but, it’s also the chances that may lead us on a completely different path. Follow your yellow brick road.
  2. Live for today. Whatever happened yesterday is over. Whatever will happen tomorrow is out of your control. So all you really have is today. Just live it. Enjoy it. And be grateful for the moments. 
  3. “Don’t let anyone invalidate or minimize how you feel. If you feel something, you feel it and it’s real to you. Nothing anyone says has the power to invalidate that, ever. No one else lives in your body… sees life through your eyes…lived through your experiences. No one else has the right to dictate or judge how you feel. Your feelings are important and deserve to be heard. They are inherently valid and matter. Don’t let anyone make you believe otherwise.”
  4. There will be disappointments, hurt, pain in life. But, again, you have a choice. Hold on or let go. LET IT GO. Free yourself. You can find joy in the darkest times when you free yourself of negativity. Find one good moment. Practice positivity. One good moment in a bad day can change everything. 
  5. “Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely.” 
  6. Listen. Don’t just “hear” what children, family, friends are saying. Take time to listen. With your whole heart. Embrace the words. Communicate. This is the foundation for the best of all relationships. 
  7. Don’t waste time trying to please those who can never be pleased. Life is too short. “Spend your life with people who make you smile, laugh and feel loved.”  
  8. Happiness starts today. Why wait for tomorrow, next week, next year? Today is the first day of the rest of your life. The best time to be happy is NOW. Celebrate as if each day was worthy of celebration!

Cheers to another year of happy, joy, peace, and lots of love!

Happy 65th Birthday Gregger!

Gregger Pitti-Uomo-June-14-606
Dear Gregger,
Happy 65th Birthday! Wow! What woulda, coulda, shoulda been. A celebration. Party. Reflection. Your request?Understated. Family. Maybe. But. Knowing what I know now. NEVER. You deserve BIG. Birthdays. Every one worthy of celebration. Because. We never know when it’s going to be our last. So. WE will CELEBRATE. WE will rejoice in your LIFE. WE will treasure the moments we had. Not the moments we LOST. Because there were far too many.
Birthdays. Each one a gift. A time to renew. Milestones. 18. 21. 25. 40. 50. And then. 65. Medicare. Retirement. Slow down. LOL! Never. You. The original energizer bunny. Going, going, going. Morning to night. Your gears spinning. Faster. Harder. Grinding. 65. Reminisce. Share your wisdom. Plan. For a future we believed would be. You did all those things. Years ago. As if you knew. Did you?
I often wonder. If you knew now, what 65 would look like, how would you live your life? Would you slow down? Take time? Stop. For a moment. I don’t think so. I think you’d do exactly what you did. Every day. Because. I think. I hope. I pray. You were happy. And. In the end, isn’t that what really matters?
On this special day. We honor you. I said it best last year. So I will I say it again. Today is not about me. It’s about YOU. You touched so many lives with your smile. Your twinkling eyes. Your kind heart. You radiated selfless spirit and generosity. You were the spirit of joy. Love. And all that is good. Perfect? No. But. I laugh at your imperfections. Your quirks. They make you, you. And that’s why I loved you so. You made me the best version of me. I continue to grow because of YOU. But. They are your lessons. Your reminders. Helping me grow. I am forever grateful. For you. Our life. Our family. Our love.
Cheers to you on this 65th birthday. I wish you peace. Love. Joy. Your light continues to shine on this earth. I see it. I hear it. And most of all. I feel it. You are everywhere.
Happy Birthday Gregger. I love you today. I’ll love you tomorrow. I’ll love you forever.

Cheers to 65! 

Happy 43rd Anniversary!

Dear Gregger,
43 Years…Our Anniversary…Happy? 4 ½ years ago it was. For 38 years it was a day to celebrate. Us. But today? No. For better or worse. ‘Til death do us part. As we did. Parted. August 30th, 2014. I stand here alone. 43 years. Wondering. Wishing. Wanting. But that’s all I can do. I believed in fairytales. Happily ever afters. This wasn’t our ending. I want a rewrite. Now what? How do I “celebrate?” How can I find joy on this special day that joined us together as “one?” We were writing our story. But there are so many blank pages. I can only go back and read what was. Because that’s all there will ever be. Memories.

January 10, 1976. Our first dance. “We’ve Only Just Begun.” “White lace and promises.” I wore white lace. We made promises. Promise to love. Respect. Support. Through good times and bad. “A kiss for luck and we’re on our way.” And so we were. Move to Arizona. One child. Two. Three. Building a life. Our home. Our future. But. “We’d only just begun.” Still “so many roads to choose. We started out walking and learned to run.” But, yet, we’d still only just begun. Life changed along the roads. And so did we. We laughed. We cried. We stumbled. We got up again. But, through it all, we were “us.” Together. “Sharing horizons that were new to us. Watching signs along the way. Talkin’ it over, just the two of us. Workin’ together day to day. Together.” In the end. That’s what mattered. Together. Just the two of us. Friends. Lovers. Soul mates.

“And when the evening came, we smiled. So much of life ahead.” That’s what we thought. That’s where plans changed. God had us fooled. We had plans. But He had different ones. And suddenly. Life changed. Now, “I’ll find a place where there’s room to grow. I’ve only just begun. I watch horizons that are new to me. Watching the signs along the way. Talking it over but you’re not there. Working it out day to day. Alone. And lonely. And when the evening comes, I think of you. Where did our moments go? I’ll keep searching for a place to grow. And, yes, I’ve only just begun.”

I want to rewrite our ending. Rewind. Redo. Just certain things. Words. Actions. Those moments wasted quarreling over minuscule nothings. I want to fill the blank pages. But we don’t get second chances. This was it. I have so many words left to say. So many more “I love you’s.” “I’m sorry.” “Forgive me.” And more “I love you’s” after that. So as we “celebrate” this 43rd year, I cherish the moments we had. I’m grateful for your lessons. The big ones, the small ones, and the “Greggerisms.” They are invaluable. They give me strength. Courage. And confidence. To stand on my feet. To survive. And to remember. Keep smiling through the storm. Because. At the end of the storm, there’s a rainbow. Where hopes, dreams and wishes really do come true.

I will not to be sad today. I’ve cried too many tears. Instead. I will be grateful. For the years we had together. The love we shared. Our family. Our life. And the memories I hold in my heart. We were blessed. Cheers to us!

Forever in my heart. You will always be my “one.” Happy 43rd! I love you…???   

My anniversary wish: For those lucky enough to be together. Those lucky enough to hold their loved one close. Hold tight. Share the joy. Take time. Time to listen. To play. To rest. Put away devices. Talk. Be present. This moment is the only one you’ve got. No second chances. Live it. Love it. Enjoy it all. And Love. Just love.

We can let the circumstances of our lives harden us
so that we become increasingly resentful and afraid,
or we can let them soften us, and make us kinder.
We always have the choice.

Happy New Year 2019

As I sit here reflecting on 2018, I ask myself, “What would I do differently? What would I change? How could I have been better?” I don’t have exact answers. It was a year of happy moments, a year of loss, a year of ups, downs, and all the in-betweens. It was LIFE. Every day presented something new. A challenge. An obstacle. Joy. Stress. Family. Friendship. Laughter. Love. But, each day was an opportunity to grow. To learn. To become better. To be kind. Compassionate. Patient. Empathic. Nurturing. And grateful. Always grateful. Not for “things.” But for the people we are so blessed to have in our lives. The people who fill our hearts. We so often take these people for granted. We forget. And just go about our daily business. But it’s important to stop and take a moment. I’m not sure I did that quite enough. So I’m reminding myself now. And I remind myself every day. So maybe it’s not what I’d  change. I do it. But I want to do it better. Stop. Be in the moment.  Enjoy. LIVE this life. We are only here for a moment. 2019. Bring it on. It’s “neither an end nor a beginning but a going on.” And I’m ready to keep going.

Wishing everyone a healthy, happy 2019. A year filled with joy, love and peace. Peace around the world. Peace within your world. Peace within your heart.

4 Years

4 years. 48 months. 1440 days. 34,560 hours. 2,073,600 minutes. 124,416,000 seconds. An eternity. An instant. Forever. A flash. Time. Gone. From earth to shining star. In heaven. August 30th, 2014.
August 29th. Our life was magical. Vacation. Maui. Beautiful. Magical. Sunshine. Family. Laughter. And love. Perfect. And in a moment. Gone. My love. Husband. Father. Brother. Friend. Gone. Our lives. Our love. Our magic. One moment. Lives changed. Forever. How? Why? There are no answers. Reasons. Even logical explanations. We can’t imagine. We don’t think it will happen. In the moment, it seems impossible. It did for me. We take for granted. We live. We breathe. And one day. We don’t. It was time. Gregger’s time. And we had to accept. We live every day having to accept. But. With acceptance comes growth. Strength. Courage. And the will to keep living. “Death taught me more about living than life ever did.” Gregger’s death opened my eyes. It made “death” real.
Gregger taught me great lessons in life. Kindness. Humility. Generosity. But. My “real” is constantly evolving. Gratitude. Acceptance. Courage. Patience.

• Life is short. Nothing lasts forever. “Life is like a rainbow. The light and rain form its beauty, and then it fades. The gold is the shared journey and the profound expression of our lives.”
• Be present. Today is the best day because it is Now. It is here. Live it. Don’t lose moments.
• Don’t wait. For whatever it is in your life. Focus on today. Be grateful for what is here right now. Do what makes you happy.
• Accept imperfections. Vulnerability. And just be the best version of you.

Gregger: If I could have just one more day you know what I would do? I’d hold your hand tighter. Hug you harder. Talk incessantly. Until your ears couldn’t handle anymore. I’d tell you how you filled my life with love, laughter, joy, and a little heartache. I’d tell you how lucky I was to have “our perfect.” I’d tell you how people miss you. Your light. Your laughter. Your grace. I’d tell you about your kids. Each one exhibiting virtues to honor you. And Baby Cruz Greyson. Your namesake. I see you. In him. His eyes. His smile. A light. A joy. A blessing. You must know. For you are his angel.

Today we celebrate you. Cheers. To a life well lived. You left a legacy behind. A legacy based on love, integrity, generosity, and kindness. We will carry on. My heart is yours. Forever. Peace and love.

Here we go. Year 5…

Happy Birthday Gregger!

Dear Gregger –

?Happy 64th Birthday! ? Really? Is that even possible? Wasn’t it just yesterday I was planning your surprise party? Four years. Past. Gone. Your 60th birthday. Your last. Your best. What I wouldn’t give for one more celebration. You should be here. We should be celebrating. We should be raising our glasses together.?? But. God had different plans. As the old saying goes, “We make plans and God laughs.” Well he must have had one good chuckle when he heard our plans.

I could make this about me. How I miss you. ?Miss us. Miss my friend. My partner. My best love. But. You know all that. Or. I hope you do. I thought it’d be easier by now. It’s not. Sometimes it’s harder. Because time passes. Quickly. And I realizes nothing changes. I just keep getting older. But everything else? Stays the same. Lonely. Empty. And longing for what I’m missing. You.

But. Today is not about me. It’s about YOU. You who gave so much in this life. To me. Your kids. Your friends. Your colleagues. You who touched everyone with your smile. Your twinkling eyes. Your kind heart. You who radiated kindness and generosity. You were the spirit of joy. Love. And all that is good. Perfect? No. But. I laugh now at your imperfections. Your quirks. They made you, you. And that’s why I loved you so. I always say you taught me to be the best version of me. I’m still learning. But. It’s your lessons. Your reminders. They help me grow. I am forever grateful. For you. Our life. Our love.

What do I wish on your special day? I wish you peace. Love. Joy. Your light continues to shine on this earth. I see it. I hear it. And. Most of all. I feel it. It’s everywhere.

Happy Birthday Gregger. I love you today. I’ll love you forever.

Chapter 2…Happy Holidays!

I’ve been off the grid. Nothing life shattering. Just. Life. In the past, I would have stressed. I’d push myself. Write. Get it done. Post. Something. Not now. I stop. And enjoy. Don’t get me wrong. I love writing. Connecting. Sharing. But life. It’s precious. And I need to enjoy. Cherish. And live. In. The. Moment. I don’t want to look back and say, “Shoulda.” I want to look back and say, “I did.” So. I am. Busy. With family. Friends. Baby. Sweet. Precious. Moments.

I spoke of this with a friend the other day. He was kind enough to point out the “unobvious.” “You are moving on. You are okay. You don’t need “outlets.” Or venting mechanisms. You’ve figured it out. And let go. He was right. And. It felt so good. A giant leap in the world of grief.

‘Tis the season. To be merry. Bright. Happy and light. It’s the most wonderful time of the year. But. Not for all. Despite the highs, the little “lows” creep in. We fight. We push back. No matter how hard “we” try, we can’t forget. We don’t want to. We should never forget. There is a piece missing. A piece that will never be replaced. Recovered. It’s an empty space. Whether it’s a day, a month, a year, or ten, the holiday season can be tough. Bittersweet. We are inundated with songs reminding us to surround ourselves with loved ones. Buying presents reminds us of the one we won’t buy this year or ever again. But. There is hope. And a way to survive the season with smiles. Follow your heart. Your way. And make the BEST of the holiday season.

Simple suggestions for holiday survival…

Share memories, stories, prayers to honor your lost loved one. Light a candle. Donate to a favorite charity. Display a picture or ornament amid holiday decorations.

Sit back. Take a break. Don’t try to overdo. The holidays. Still there. You can recreate them to be whatever YOU choose. Whatever feels good in YOUR life. At that moment. For now. Next year may be different. But honor today.

Support is crucial. Ask. Take. Give. It’s really okay. People want to help. More than not, they just don’t know how.

Surround yourself with positivity. It’s contagious.

Stop struggling with your feelings – feel them, accept them.

Say how YOU feel. If you’re happy, shout it out. If you’re sad, share it. Don’t stuff it or “suck it up” because you’re “supposed to.” Stuffing and suppressing leads to more “sucky” feelings. We all have “something.” Sharing is caring.

Serve others with the gift of yourself. Small services can fill your heart with an abundance of joy.

Spend the holiday with family and friends. They are the greatest gift we have. We may not wrap them. Or tie them with fancy bows. But they are there. Today. Tomorrow. Forever. With love.

Stay stress-free. Focus on NOW. Today. The “stuff” will be there tomorrow. Let it go. And just enjoy.

Seek out the blessings, gratitude. They are EVERYWHERE. Sometimes hidden. But if you look. You will find them. And they may even surprise you.

Select activities that bring joy. Smiles. And happy feelings.

Skip nonsensical activities. If you don’t care. Don’t go. If you’re stomach’s churning. Don’t go. If it doesn’t feel good. Don’t do it. Pick one. Maybe two. Push. A little. Outside the box. You’ll know. Your choice. Each year. Just might be a little different. Hope.

Speak up. If you don’t want to participate. Don’t. No rules. Just. Your rules. It’s okay. Whatever YOU choose. No judgements.

Set aside time for YOU. Exercise. Eat healthy. Sleep. Take care of you. You’re the only one you’ve got!

Surprise someone. It might jolt an unexpected joy in your heart.

Steer clear of those who pressure, “bring you down,” or simply cannot accept YOU! This is no time to doubt yourself, your feelings, or your actions. Believe in you. Honor yourself.

I am grateful for all of you. For your love, support, and friendship. You have comforted me through some of my toughest days. You may not know it. Emoji hearts. Words. And smiles. They all touch my heart. They have lifted my spirits and given me strength to move forward. To keep moving. To live. A very full life. It will never be the same. Holidays will never be the same. But. I am accepting the “different.” And that’s okay too.

Wishing all of you the happiest of holidays. May this year bring joy, love, and an abundance of peace.

Chapter 2…Strike 3 and You’re Out!

The dating game. Sucks. Truly. I’m happy to say, I’m officially off the online market. Cannot take one more loser. Weirdo. Liar. Manipulator. I’d rather be alone. For the rest of my life. I decided. One more try. I had shut down. But again. I was bored. So why not? Check it out. Read the messages. They’re humorous. Entertaining. I was lured in. They were cheesy. But. Better than nothing. It was Saturday night. And there I was. Alone. On my couch. With Angel. How pathetic. One dude. Talked about feeling young. Acting young. Laughter. (I was ready. Laughter was enticing.) Surround yourself with happiness. Sounded good. On paper. Of course. Anyone can. Gave my number. Hated messaging on the site. Call me. Text me. Anything but the site. So he did. Texted first. Called soon after. Conversation. Decent. Laughter. Easy. Not bad. Lived an hour away. Not too close. Not too far. Wanted to come the next day. No time to think. So. I said okay. He set the time. Made plans. Cool. What the hell. I had nothing to lose. Right? Wrong!

Morning came. And went. No text. No call. I figured. Blow off. Again. I’m used to it. Add it to the journey. I kind of thought he’d been drinking. Couldn’t remember talking to me anyway. Oh well. And then. He called. Some story. Probably BS. But, an excuse. Running late. But, coming. Strike 1. I was over it. Wanted to chill on the couch. Empty my DVR. But that’s not how I’d ever move forward. So I picked my ass up and went. I walked into the restaurant. Searched the room. Headed straight to the bar. To the WRONG guy! Ugh! Saw him standing.  Dude: “Where were you going?” Me: “Just took my sunglasses off. Couldn’t adjust to the light.” WTF could I say? The other guy was old and ugly! Dude wasn’t bad. As far as my record had gone. But it was dark. Dressed okay. Kind of a pretty boy. Turns out he was a “pretty boy.” But that day wasn’t bad. Conversation. A bit weird. Thinking back. Really inappropriate. Especially. For a first date. But. I wasn’t thinking clearly. I was trying to go with it. Dumb. Dumb. And. Dumber.

As the week went on, we talked. Texted. Not bad. Entertaining. Better than most. Kind of normal. But. Where was my perspective? Obviously. Distorted. Very. Very. Distorted. Ugh. He was coming back. The weekend. One day. Made a plan. After workout. After tanning. (As in spray? No. Bed. Ewww! Who does that anymore??) After sunning. (Really? You just tanned.) Around 12:30. I did my morning thing. Workout. Coffee. Came home. Got ready. 12:30. Came and went. Are you serious? And then came the text. “Fell asleep. Jumping in shower. On the road soon.” Well. I knew where I stood. On the priority list. Workout. Tan. Tan. Shower. Me. Two weeks in a row. Strike 2.

By the time “pretty boy” showed up, I was tired, cranky, and pissed. My head was swimming with words of advice from my more experienced sisters. He had barely stepped into my kitchen when I said, “My sister said I need your last name.” Pretty Boy: “Give her my phone number.” Me: “What’s that going to do? I asked for your last name.” Pretty Boy: “Have her call my work.” Me: “That’s not what I asked.” Dude never gave it to me. Strike 3. He should have been out. Me: Dumb. Dumber. And. Now. Dumbest!

Without the rest of the gory details, it went from bad to worse to gross and obnoxious. I. COULD. NOT. WAIT. FOR. HIM. TO. LEAVE! He got the message. Maybe. He was a nice guy. I don’t know. But. Let him be nice for some other lost soul. Not me.

But. I learned. This was another part of my journey. My dating journey. It may end here. Who knows? Or this may lead me to something greater. I’m learning what I want. What I don’t want. Online dating? Done. Long distance? No. Stop. Phonelationships. Textationships. Dating? In person. Face to face. Real dating. My rules. My way. I’ve never been stronger. And I like it that way. So. I’m back on the couch. For now. Just me and my Angel. Until next time.

 

Chapter 2…Tears, Pain, and Joy

Grief is a big bowl to hold. It takes so many formations, so many textures and colors. You never know how or when it will rear its head and take a hold of you. Sometimes you cry unfathomably, some days you feel guilty because you haven’t cried, and in other moments you are so angry or filled with anxiety you just don’t know what to do.”

I thought I had won. The battle. Beaten the waves of emotion. It’s year four. I thought I’d passed. The tests. The hard stuff. The firsts. The surprises. The “creepers.” (Those grief moments that just appear.) But suddenly, it emerged. Like a tsunami. As tiny tremors, then earthquakes rocked my world, they unraveled the grief buried deep within. Rumbles. Shakes. And then. It surged. Like a storm. Reason? Don’t know. Subconscious trigger? Maybe. But it happened. While “real” tsunamis cause absolute devastation, “emotional” ones don’t. I survived. I weathered the storm. And I’m okay. It won’t be the first. Or the last. I’m lucky. Because. I know. I will be just fine.

Another lesson. Grief. It’s part of me. My soul. It’s there. So. I’m ready. No fear. No panic. Sometimes. My heart beats a bit faster. Or. My eyes fill with tears. Or. I might just feel. Something. But. I can do it with a smile. Still be happy. I’ve learned. It never goes away. It’s part of my being. It’s not something you tuck in a back pocket. And grab when grief calls. It’s just there. And you learn to live with it.

I’ve written about grief before. About the waves. And how to ride them. But in year four it’s different. It doesn’t weigh me down. I don’t feel heavy with sadness. Sorrow. Or loss. I focus on our blessings. (I say that a lot too.) Really focus. Think back to happy times. What we had. Our life. Our love. And how truly lucky I was to have so many beautiful years. How lucky I was to even have the bad ones. (And, yes, there were bad times. I’d be lying if I said they they were all perfect.) The bad times taught us how to appreciate the good. And now they teach me even more. How to appreciate each and every moment. To appreciate and love those in my life. To hug a little harder. Love a little more. And never, ever stop believing that life is good. Because it is.

In the words of Shania Twain, “Oh, life’s about joy, life’s about pain
Life’s about, life’s about to get good.” Oh yeah. Despite the pain. Despite the tears. Life’s about to get good.