Author: Mikki Eveloff

I am certainly no princess, but I did marry my Prince Charming. We had the once upon a time and the “almost” happily ever after until August 30th, 2014 when my Prince Gregger died tragically on the beach in Maui. I believe in fairytales. I believe in fate. I believe that “everything happens for a reason.” We planned a lifetime together…75 years to be exact. Someone or something changed our plans and gave us a new “ever after.” So here I am. I am still a wife, but now they call me a widow. I am a mom and grandma…three children, two in-laws, and two grandchildren. Life has changed and it’s time to move forward. It doesn’t stop, it keeps on going, so I do too. It’s my choice. Be happy, be grateful. It’s the only choice. I have a treasure trove of memories to share..it’s how I keep the happily ever after alive. A True Love Fairytale is 40 years of memories…it’s the essence of our happily ever after. It’s the imperfections of our perfect marriage. And it’s what makes today beautiful.
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Forgiveness…An Act of Self-Love

Mikki Eveloff Leave a comment

forgiveness 3I was watching “Grey’s Anatomy” last night. Tearjerker. Life threatened. Heartache. And pain. Some may think it sappy. Overdone. Washed up. But the message was strong. Forgiveness. Of others. Those who hurt us. And ourselves. While Meredith was struggling to survive and overcome devastating injuries, she was faced with a greater battle. Forgive those who had beaten her. Left her. Hurt her. Anger is easier. Hate is simpler. Forgiveness is hard. But in the end, the one who doesn’t forgive is the loser. 

forgiveness 1Her beloved Derek had died last season. Unexpectedly. Before his time. Before “their” time.  She went back to life. But the anger flared. I understand. Webber advised her to forgive herself. She was angry.  At Derek. Not just for dying. But for dying too soon. Leaving her. Alone. I got it. The pain. The anger. The hurt. Tears streamed down my cheeks. It was as if he were talking to me. Through the airwaves. I am still mad at Gregger. How dare he? We had a whole life to live. Plans. Travel. A life to spend together. We were just getting started. And he cheated me. I don’t say that often. I am strong. Right? But maybe I’m not. I don’t say this often enough. And maybe I should. Maybe it’s the way to move on. Because lately, I just feel stuck. Maybe I need to forgive myself for being angry at him. For leaving me way too soon. And he did. I still go to the “what if’s.” I know I shouldn’t. But I do. What if we had gone on vacation somewhere else? What if he hadn’t gone snorkeling that day? What if I had made him walk with me on the beach instead? What if? What if? What if? I beat myself. Over and over and over again. But forgiveness is the key. I can’t go back. I know that. My brain knows that. But my heart isn’t there yet. They need to catch up. With each other.

forgivenessSo as sappy as it may be, thank you “Grey’s.” Thank you for the reminder. Forgiveness. I need to forgive, to let go. To move on. To live. Really live. Not in the past. The present. And I know that’s where Gregger would want me to be. So for today and tomorrow and I will…

  1. Release the guilt. Let it fly. It’s a heavy weight holding me down.
  2. Focus on the joy. The memories. The happy times.
  3. And recognize that letting go of hurt does not diminish my love for Gregger. Choosing to live, laugh and love again does not mean I love him any less. It may even mean I love him more. Because my heart is free. Of pain. Guilt. Anger. Hurt. Free to feel. Once again.

“Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.”

I am ready to enlarge my future. So for today, I forgive. Me.

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happy valentines day

Happy Valentine’s Day – Second Time Around

Mikki Eveloff Leave a comment

m & GValentine’s Day. A day of love. Hugs. Kisses. Cards. Sentiments. Roses. Chocolates. Happiness. And couples. A day to remind me what I’ve lost. What I’m missing. Love. Hugs. Kisses. Gregger. OR, a day to remember. What I had. What we had. Love. Respect. Commitment. We were lucky. I believe we would have made it to the very end. Our fairytale end. We survived the bumps and bruises. More than we could count. But every bump made us stronger. Wiser. And more in love. So it’s not what I’m missing. It’s what I remember. The good. The great. The best. We didn’t need a “Hallmark holiday” for love. We simply tried to live it.

valentine'sWhat kept us going? It wasn’t magic. It was life. Real stuff. But it took time. Patience. Understanding. And compassion.

  1. Communicate. Listen. Don’t just “hear” the words. No phones. No texts. Real talk. Look in each other’s eyes. Say the words. Feel. Understand. The way to the heart.
  2. Respect. Agree to disagree. But respect the disagreement. Arguing with respect is okay. Arguing with anger gets you nowhere.
  3. Embrace the imperfections. Nothing is perfect. Not your spouse. Or marriage. Someday those “imperfections” may be what you miss most. I do.
  4. Stay committed. Commitment is serious business. If it’s worth fighting for, fight. Giving up is easy.
  5. Make time. For each other. No distractions. Just the two of you. It’s so easy to put this on the back burner. Bottom of the totem pole. Move it to the top. It’s worth it.
  6. Put “we” before “me.” Give more, get more. You both come out ahead. Be selfless, not selfish. The payoff is priceless.
  7. Share, celebrate, enjoy the moments. Don’t pass up joyful opportunities. Celebrate everything. Birthdays. Anniversaries. Christmas. New Years. Valentine’s Day. Fourth of July. And everything in between. For 38 years we celebrated them all. No regrets. And memories galore. You never know when it could be the last. So celebrate. Enjoy. And cherish the moments.
  8. Share life. Whatever that means to you. But do it together. You don’t have to do everything, but find something. Share love. Share life. Share time. It’s precious.

m & G 2Last year I said that Gregger and I called this a “Hallmark holiday.” True. We didn’t need a special day to declare our love. Or remind us to love each other. With flowers. Candy. Cards. But, just like last year, I would give ANYTHING for Gregger to be my Valentine. An “I love you” in the morning. Another in the afternoon. And several more at night. But it won’t be. I will hold onto memories. Remember. And cherish what we had. I will look to the stars. Find one that shines a bit brighter. And blow a kiss directly to him. These holidays are tough. They don’t get any easier. Maybe someday. So I wish all of you love. Hold your loved ones a little tighter. Be kind. And cherish the moments. They are so very precious. Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Happy Birthday Gregger!

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Scan 14 (1)Happy Birthday, Gregger! #62! Today we celebrate YOU! Not the life you lost. But the life you LIVED! The love you shared. The joy you radiated. Your smile. Your laughter. Your grace and humility. A son. Brother. Father. Husband. And friend. Everyone’s friend. Those lucky enough to cross your path loved you. Minutes, days, years, or a lifetime. A shake of your hand, a smile, a kind word. You touched peoples’ hearts. You left a mark. So we celebrate YOU.

2012…We celebrated at Dominick’s and went to Old Town to party with the young folk! What the heck were we thinking? I don’t think we lasted very long. Our ears couldn’t take it! But we laughed. Loved. And cheered.

2013…San Diego. Park Hyatt Aviara. Food tasting for Ashley and Tyler’s fabulous wedding! Didn’t get much better than that! Until…

DSC_05982014…#60! I will hang onto this memory. FOREVER! Our last birthday. Best one yet! In forty years I never pulled off a surprise. Much less a BIG one! But I got you. And I got you good. After lying in a hospital bed for a week, you never suspected I’d be up for anything, much less a party. Your “real” birthday was quiet. No big shebang. You worked tirelessly at home all day. Orders. Ryan stopped by before work. I felt guilty. I didn’t want you to be disappointed. But I knew what was in store. The weekend. I made your favorite dinner. Chicken parm. Baked potato. Jamesons. Dairy Queen. Quiet night. But it was good. Better was yet to come. We had a “date” night Saturday.  Old friends. Great friends. I needed your car. You loved when I drove you to work. I knew that wouldn’t be a problem. It wasn’t. More time to be together. Lucky me. I was a wreck. This day seemed like forever. We got to the restaurant. I could barely control my shaking hands, much less my trembling heart.  We headed back, hand in hand. You were ready to watch the Suns game. I’ll never forget the shock when you saw those bleachers stacked high. Friends and family shouting, “Happy Birthday, Gregger!” But the surprises didn’t end there. First Ashley and Tyler. Jeff and Keena. Your bromance, David. And my sis, Suzy. Overwhelming. Love. Joy. A celebration of YOU. It was time. Little did I know that 7 months later I would be “celebrating” your life in a whole different way. This was good. Great. We danced. Laughed. And just let go. We Had Fun. You even said, “This is the 6th best night of my life.” I wasn’t offended. I knew where that stood. And 6th was GREAT. It ranked right where it should. Behind births and weddings. I got it. You were so right.

DSC_0672So now I continue to celebrate YOU. The YOU that makes me smile. Makes my heart beat a little bit faster. And makes tears fall when I try holding them back. My soulmate. My best friend. Thank you for blessing me with your love. I can only hope you felt blessed with mine too. Happy Birthday, Gregger. With Jameson’s in hand, Cheers to you my love! You made this world a better, brighter, happier place. And today it is sparkling! I love you!

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My Angel

Mikki Eveloff Leave a comment

angelsI believe in angels. I believe they “show up” when I’m seeking guidance. Comfort. Support. Sometimes nothing. But I believe. Angels guide me in the direction of truth. Awareness. Light. Faith. A rainbow. Clouds. A penny from heaven. Music. Or messages that repeat over and over. Whatever the shape, size, or entity, I just know. My angel is there. So I listen.

angels 1These past three weeks have been the second toughest of my life. Fighting the fight with my baby girl, Lucy. Reliving the horror of her attack. Evoking memories of Gregger’s passing in Hawaii. It all blended together. One after the other. I tried to find answers. Blank. Nothing. I kept sinking into a deep abyss of sadness. My heart ached. I felt empty. I couldn’t find my way out. I didn’t know if I would find my way. I didn’t know if I deserved to find my way. Maybe staying in the abyss was safer. I couldn’t really get hurt at the bottom. It seemed so unfair. But life isn’t fair. 

IMG_1862 (1)And then my Angel came to me. Not in the form of rainbows, clouds, pennies, or songs. But in a tiny, furry body. Big, brown eyes. Perky ears. 1 pound, 14 ounces. Angel. There was an empty place in my heart. And she is filling it again. Her warm, wet nose. Her sweet kisses. Her snuggles. Some may think it is too soon. I hesitated telling people. What would they think? I’ve always worried more about others than myself. I’ll be selfish this time. I needed her.

I will never be “over” Lucy. She comforted me during my darkest moments. Renewed a spirit I believed was lost forever. I will always love her. Angel is not replacing her. But she is filling a void in my heart. A void in my life. I want to smile. Feel joy. She gives me a purpose. A reason to wake up. To come home.  Love. She is my Angel. And she represents the beautiful “angels” who left this earth far too soon.

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H(old) O(nto) P(ositive) E(xpectations)

Mikki Eveloff Leave a comment

“Where there’s hope, there’s life. It fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again.”

IMG_1823This week has been a test of wills. Strength. Physical. Mental. Emotional. I’ve been through it all. Some I’ve “won.” Some I’ve simply given into. Broken down. But, most of the time, “where there’s a will, I’ve found a way.” In a week of physical challenges, I pushed myself to the max. Surpassed my goals. I believed my physical struggle paralleled Lucy’s pain. Her suffering. If she could battle on, so could I. I maxed out my times on the treadmill. I held a plank for 11 minutes and 50 seconds, all the while praying for Lucy’s recovery. Trembling, aching, I willed myself on. If I could do it, she could do it. Crazy? Maybe. But hopefully, she’s got my fighting spirit. Two years ago I was told I’d never be able to run. Never do a sit-up. Much less hold a plank for nearly 12 minutes. I was using a walker. Well, I showed them. Now it’s Lucy’s turn to show us.

hope 3While I H(old) O(nto) P(ositive) E(xpectations), I’m fighting a new battle. The Angels of Hope vs. the Demons of despair. I am cheering for the Angels. I believe their perseverance and positivity will beat the Demons. But in the silence, I slip. When the tears fall, I lose my way. The Demons tug and pull, struggling to bring me down. Take away the hope. But I will myself back. I won’t give up. Not on myself. Or my precious pup.

hope 2Hope is a funny thing. We use the word so casually. We hope to win the lottery. We hope our kids will behave. We hope it does or doesn’t rain. But there’s that other hope. That hope that we hold onto with all our might. That’s the hope I’m talking about. The Angel of Hope. The one that makes me believe. Believe there are possibilities. Even when the odds are against me. It’s the candle that flickers. Down to the wick. Almost darkness. And then. A flash of light. A burst of flame. Hope. No one gave me hope. They just told me no. NEVER. You will NEVER run again. You will NEVER be the same. You will NEVER be able to do “this.” You will NEVER be able to do “that.” At one time I believed them. I thought I’d never walk upright. Well, I showed them. I’m here now. Walking. Running. Lifting. LIVING. Beating their odds. It was slow. Painful. And took a lot of patience. I imagine it’s the same for Lucy right now. Slow. And horribly painful. But I hold onto HOPE. Believe. It is the only path to healing and happiness. Until the road brings us back home. Together.

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Love the Questions, Live the Questions

Mikki Eveloff Leave a comment

have patience and live the questionsA friend of mine posted this quote on her Facebook wall the other day. “Love the questions. Don’t search for the answers. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.” It seemed so fitting. I’ve been struggling with the questions. The lessons? What am I supposed to learn? Lucy’s senseless attack. Her suffering. My pain. I struggled with this when Gregger died. I’m still questioning. I search. For answers. But nothing comes to me. Am I being punished? Did I do something wrong? It’s certainly not Lucy. She’s a helpless soul. Innocent. Of any wrongdoing. Unconditional love. I don’t want to think that way. So I look for the lesson. There must be something to learn. Since Gregger’s death I’ve learned:

  1. Slow down. Life goes fast enough. Cherish the moments. Loved ones.
  2. Don’t waste energy with anger and hatred. Forgiveness is powerful.
  3. I have no control over the permanence of life. Nothing is permanent as much as I may want to believe.
  4. answers 1Struggle gives rise to strength. It’s a “sucky” way to find out how strong I am. Especially right now. But it’s true. They say that “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” So every day I just pray. Get me through another day. Get Lucy through another day. Let’s fight together. And we’ll be one tough team.
  5. I no longer take anything for granted. Especially that gift we call life. It is precious. Every. Single. Day. I wish I had learned this earlier. I wish I hadn’t just gone through the motions. Watched the clock. Checked off the calendar. I appreciated. I was grateful. But this is different. Life is truly a gift. And I am blessed to be here every day. I know that now.
  6. I used to hide behind walls. Glass. Fragile. You could see me. But you couldn’t touch me. Couldn’t hurt me. I would not expose myself. Bare my soul. My emotions. My experiences. My life. It was safe. But maybe this is my purpose. Maybe this is part of the lesson. Help others. Understand. Find strength. If I can bring sunshine to one cloudy day, I’ve done okay. I’ll feel good.

answers 2So I’m trying to figure out how to “live the questions.” How to just keep going in the face of adversity. Especially when I want answers. It’s not easy. I believe in fate. Things happen for a reason. But for these two events, there is no good reason. So maybe, for now, I will “live the questions.” And life will provide the best answers. I just hope in the end they are happy ones. Because I am ready for some happiness. Some smiles. Some laughter. Enough tears. Bring on the sunshine.

Pennies from Heaven for Lucy

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IMG_1412To know her is to love her. But even those who don’t, love her too. Everyone loves Lucy. It’s hard not to. Precious face. Big brown eyes. Melt your heart. Little ears. Perk at the sound of her name. Peppy. Loving. Loyal. A big dog in a little dog’s body. This beloved pup is fighting with all of her might. And it’s breaking my heart. She’s battling the demons. But I’ve got to get her to fight harder. Get her to eat. I packed her favorites today. Little containers of chicken. Scrambled eggs. Cooked baby carrots. She turned her head. Looked at me with sad eyes. As if to say,”No mama. Not today.” I held the food in my hand. Under her nose. Just try a little. A taste. A smidgeon. Nothing. She turned away. Closed her eyes. Curled in my arms. And I let her be.

IMG_1803“Mama” and “mini angels” came today. She moved her eyes. But no sound. No tongue. Silence. Stillness. Sadness.

I had a sign today. I believe Gregger was telling me everything would be okay. Some of you will think I’m crazy. Off my rocker. But I’ll take whatever I can get right now. Whatever comfort comes my way. I need something to hold on to. Because I’m hanging by a thread. I was working out. My happy place. OrangeTheory Fitness. Surrounded by good people. Energy. HiFullSizeRendergh spirits. I had been in the same spot for nearly an hour. Really hadn’t moved much. Been following the workout as scripted for the day. As I went to do my umpteenth set of tricep extensions, I was distracted by something shiny between my feet. It had not been there before. I had been doing this for nearly an hour. In. The. Same. Spot. But there it was. As clear as day. Heads up. A shiny penny. I nearly burst into tears. I picked it up. Held it. And stuck it inside my shoe. This was the fourth time this had happened to me. All when I needed a sign of hope. There it was. A penny from heaven.

Crazy or not, I’ll hold onto hope. Belief. They say pennies are a sign from loved ones. A sign Gregger is watching over me. Loves me. Wants me to know he’s okay. And I’ll be okay too. He has only left me pennies. Signs of new beginnings. And, for today, THINK POSITIVE! Release my fear and focus on what I want to see in my life. What could be more fitting than that! What more could I need? Protection. Reassurance. Comfort. He was watching over Lucy. Watching over me. He would help me through this horrific ordeal. And all would be okay.

I started to believe this afteIMG_1806r my grandfather’s passing. I don’t remember the exact incident. Where or when. I just remember it happening. And I knew. He was there. But since Gregger’s passing, this is #4. Four significant times. Four times when I needed him most. And this is his way of coming through. Of being there for me. Wrapping his arms around me. Hugging me. And telling me, “Everything will be ok.” I will believe him. I will hold onto hope. And I will keep praying for my little Lucy.

“Don’t pass by that penny when you’re feeling blue. It may be a penny from heaven that an Angel’s tossed to you.”

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Praying for Lucy

Mikki Eveloff Leave a comment

IMG_1773It’s hard for me to write. My emotions are all over the place. My mind is scattered. I’m sad. Angry. Heartbroken. Empty. We’ve all heard the saying, “Bad things happen to good people.” But sometimes bad things happen to good pups.” Innocent beings with big hearts. It happened to mine. My little Lucy. And now we’re both suffering. Lucy was mauled, thrashed, and beaten in a senseless act of terror. Torture. Innocently and mindlessly walking from the mailbox. Sniffing the grass. Playful. And then. In a nanosecond, her life changed. My life changed. Grabbed by the throat. Tossed to her back. Taken into the jaws of this “creature,” Lucy was helpless. I was paralyzed. I screamed. Yelled. Cried.“Stop. Help.” I threw my belongings down. Mail, phone strewed across the driveway. The sidewalk. But the torture continued. I dropped Lucy’s leash hoping that would free her. She broke free but ran in the wrong direction and was tackled to the ground. The beast grabbed her by the neck, thrashed her again, and tossed her viciously to the ground. She jawed her again, looking like Lucy was going to be her next meal.  fight

I am not sure how it happened. I am not even sure when it happened. I just know it did. And I’m so grateful. Somehow Lucy escaped the clenched jaws. She wriggled her way free and ran as fast as her mini legs could carry her. My legs were frozen. But I flew into my garage where I found Lucy cowering in a corner. Shaking. Whimpering. In pain. Fear. I lifted her into my arms. Sobbing uncontrollably. I hugged her tightly. Rocked her. Told her it would be okay. But it wouldn’t. How did I know?

fight 1I held her for hours. Finally had to put her down. She normally would go to her bed. Her blanket. But suddenly she was gone. I couldn’t find her. She was burrowed under my bed. Deep. She was hiding. And she wouldn’t come to me. It broke my heart. This was my baby who came running at the sound of her name. Nothing. She cowered. She trembled. I pretended I was leaving. The door beeped. And I saw her peek her little nose out. I was able to get her before she burrowed back again. I carefully set her on her blanket. Right in my closet. She loved that spot. Warm. Cozy. Comforting. I was right there with her. And then suddenly she was gone again. There was no way. She could not have passed me without my noticing. I searched under the bed. I searched other rooms. I could not find her. I pushed my clothes. Back and forth. Forward and back. Where are you?  And there she was. Snuggled deep into the wall. This was breaking my heart. Where did my bouncy, peppy girl go? What did this beast do to her?

fight 3Since there weren’t any piercings or punctures I thought we were home free. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I didn’t see the massive contusion on her belly, hidden by her puppy hair. But the vet saw it right away. X-rays. No broken bones. Okay. We’re doing good. We are grateful. This could have been much worse. But the worst was yet to come.

IMG_1778Lucy stopped eating. Barely drank. Four days. I spoke to the vet. Time to intervene. Let’s see the doc. Again. The hematoma was swollen. Not good. Suspicious. A little temp. Scary. Uh-oh. So off we went. New place. New docs. Sonogram. And then the bad news poured in. The REAL news. The REAL facts. Massive internal injuries. Lack of puncture wounds was meaningless. That beast had destroyed her insides! Those jaws clamped down with such ferocity, she was looking to kill.  Hernia, hematoma, spleen, and, worst of all, pancreas. These were the words thrown at me. Surgery. Critical. Life-threatening. May not make it. You may have to make a decision none of us want to make. Hope for the best. NO! This could not be. How was I going to do this?

Friday was an eternity. She made it out of surgery, but the doctor’s last words were “hope for the best.” I wasn’t relieved. I wasn’t assured. I was sick. To my stomach. Physically sick. Sleep? Forget it. Food? Wouldn’t digest. I keep reliving the moment over and over. A bad dream. A nightmare. I just want to wake up. With Lucy next me. 

IMG_2140Ashley, Tyler, Bella and I went to visit her yesterday. A plastic cone around her head. A feeding tube bulging out of her neck. IV tube in her tiny leg. Bandages. Wraps. But she looked at us. Puppy eyes. Lucy eyes. She stuck out her little tongue. She gave a few licks. And then she whimpered. I held her close. I told her I loved her. I told her I need her to come home. She looked at me. I think she knows. She’s a fighter. I’m praying. Friends and family are praying. And I am so grateful for all the love and support. I wouldn’t be standing on my feet without it. So thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Lucy is my lifeline. She was my savior after Gregger died. She has helped me through the worst of times. I only hope that I can be her lifeline. I will bring her through the worst of this time. And we will travel through the rest of our lives together.

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So Long Scottsdale, Hello San Diego

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sunriseSo back to the big move. This major change in my life. Humongous! We said we’d never leave Arizona. Home. And here I was driving off. Not sunset. But sunrise. Dawn. New day. Bright. Sunny. Full of promise. Beginning. Here we go. Five hours of sleep. Marriott’s shortest stay. But it was time to hit the road. “Mini angels” were raring to go. Really? Minimal sleep. Up at the crack of dawn. No caffeine. And powered with energy. Give me what they’ve got! We loaded up. Pit stop for gas. Caffeine. Little breakfast. And then it was “Farewell Phoenix.” Hasta la vista baby. As Gregger would say, “So long. Until we meet again.” Never, “goodbye.” Too final. But this was. And as we drove, the memories flooded my mind.

sunrise 3On every corner. Something. A restaurant. We loved or hated. Starbucks. Our Sunday Funday. Casino. Part of my 60th birthday celebration. Airport. Departure for cities around the world. Or return to home. Comfort. Flashes of pictures. Years streaming. Where did the time go? Where did our life go? How did this happen? And in a flash, it was gone. All that stretched before us was open land. Desert. Barren open land. A horizon of new opportunities. New life. What was I feeling? Sad? Not really. Relieved? Slightly. Overwhelmed? A little. Scared? Most definitely. But I was ready. I knew this was the right move. The right time. And certainly the right place.

sunrise 4The drive was easy. “Mama Angel” and I never stopped talking. It’s always easy between the two of us. Ask me what we talk about. I have no idea. Life. Love. Kids. Nothing. Everything. Being friends. I am lucky. She walked into my life and blessed me with a friendship that truly comes along once in a lifetime. She has held my hand when I’m ready to fall. Hugged me when I am feeling empty. And called just when I thought my world was falling apart. So the drive was easy. This was easy. I was ready.

As we drove down Melrose and headed up Rancho Santa Fe my heart started fluttering. Butterflies tumbled in my belly. I was going “home.” A home I was going to see for the very first time. But I knew it would be perfect. “Mama” and “Papa” angel had found it for me. I knew it had their blessing. I knew they would know what was right for me. And I never doubted it for one single second. When we made that final turn it all became very real.

To be continued….

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40th Celebration…And It Truly Was!

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IMG_1719So Anniversary #40. I had looked forward to this day for so many years. And then I dreaded it. But, thanks to the love and support of incredible family and friends it was one of the most beautiful days of my life. I was overwhelmed. Blessed. Grateful. Overjoyed. I know Gregger was with me. All the way.

I didn’t want to open my eyes in the morning. I didn’t want to look at the empty pillow next to mine. It shouldn’t be that way. I should be annoyed by the rumbling snores. The deep breathing. Whistling. But there was silence. Was I angry? Kind of. He should have been here. Sad? Most definitely. Disappointed. More than ever. This was OUR day. The day he set aside for the two of us EVERY YEAR since the day we were wed. Regardless of what was happening in our lives, it was OUR day. But he wasn’t here. It was me. So I had choices. Lie in bed. Cry. Or get up and go. Do something. I decided to go with Plan B. First step. Coffee. Watch the video. Recapture the years. The love. The laughter. Our life. Perfect. A few tears. But that was ok. I needed it. Needed to let go.

IMG_1756I was planning on spending the afternoon with Ashley and Tyler. Little did I know they had other plans. Something else up their sleeve. Like father, like daughter. Gregger loved surprises, and Ashley decided to channel a little Gregger herself. The original plan was to spend the whole day doing “something.” Or a whole lot of nothing. Didn’t really matter. As long as we were together. But a couple of weeks ago, she called me, completely frazzled. She had a mandatory sales meeting on the 10th. No worries. Plans change. Life gets in the way. We’d make it work. In the meantime, my “mama angel,” Marcia, planned to take OTF with me. Awesome! What a way to start my day! Perfect friend. Perfect workout. What could be better? The BEST SURPRISE! Ashley and Tyler with a bouquet of balloons! No sales meeting! They got me. And they got me good!

IMG_1739But the surprises didn’t end there. It was off to brunch, bloody’s, and besties all in one big room! Waiting at Union were my favorite people. The people who have helped me make this my “home.” The dear people who welcomed a stranger from Scottsdale with open arms. It’s hard to imagine I’ve lived here such a short time. Yet I’ve never felt so at home. So at peace. And I thank each and every one of these people. These people I call my friends. People who touch your life, your heart, your soul. People who make you want to wake up in the morning when life gets hard. People who help you smile when it would be so easy not to. Friends. And family. This was the best gift I could have received yesterday. A blanket of love.IMG_1747

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This day was another reminder of the gift we call life. A reminder to be grateful for our blessings. A reminder that gifts don’t always come in pretty wrapped packages. This day was a gift. And I am so very grateful for every moment. For my kids. For my friends. And, of course, for Gregger.IMG_1749IMG_1744IMG_1750

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