That week between Christmas and New Years always has a weird energy to me. One of my fave online personas, Danielle LaPorte (www.DanielleLaPorte.com), said this about That Week: "The bridge between Christmas + the New Year is one of my favorite times. Togetherness, then hibernation. Chaos, then rest. Celebration, then strategy. Goodbye, HELLO."
I didn't really know if I should be crackin' open champagne, or taking a nap. Eagerly buying a new 50% off calendar at The Bookstore, or going over the past year's wins and losses in my art journal.
It's an in-between time.
THIS year, during that week, my brother in-law suddenly died. Crossed over THAT bridge. On his birthday. It was heart shattering. And again, the in-between questions. The rationales. The Whys. The Church way. His way. My Way. Her Way. His Journey. Ours.
We traveled to Arizona to be with my Sister and her family. And his family. Time stood still in Arizona. The landscape alone can shake your core. And it did. Rugged, dusty, Old West-type mountains, sprinkled with actual statue-like cacti; and that Sunlight, when we did see it, was a Different Sort of Light. It made you look twice; but you weren't sure at what.
And it also rained. A lot. His older sister from Maryland (where his siblings and parents reside) said, "In Maryland, it is believed that when it rains at a funeral, the Spirit has gone to Heaven." No doubt about that. It rained most of the week.
I won't give details, out of respect, of the different ways I saw Grief navigated. I can only tell you that death and life unravel all kinds of mysteries, while keeping some in tact.
You learn a lot about people at vulnerable times.
Yet, I can tell you, something as simple as a familiar hand on your shoulder can pour warm peace on your aching heart...if only for a moment. And I will never forget that.
So, what's my point? Especially now that I'm 23 days into the New Year? I'm not sure exactly. I fully intended to write an up-beat blog post --my first of 2016.
This seemed more important. He was more important.
Rightly so.
"Chaos, then rest. Goodbye, HELLO."
D. LaPorte
I didn't really know if I should be crackin' open champagne, or taking a nap. Eagerly buying a new 50% off calendar at The Bookstore, or going over the past year's wins and losses in my art journal.
It's an in-between time.
THIS year, during that week, my brother in-law suddenly died. Crossed over THAT bridge. On his birthday. It was heart shattering. And again, the in-between questions. The rationales. The Whys. The Church way. His way. My Way. Her Way. His Journey. Ours.
We traveled to Arizona to be with my Sister and her family. And his family. Time stood still in Arizona. The landscape alone can shake your core. And it did. Rugged, dusty, Old West-type mountains, sprinkled with actual statue-like cacti; and that Sunlight, when we did see it, was a Different Sort of Light. It made you look twice; but you weren't sure at what.
And it also rained. A lot. His older sister from Maryland (where his siblings and parents reside) said, "In Maryland, it is believed that when it rains at a funeral, the Spirit has gone to Heaven." No doubt about that. It rained most of the week.
I won't give details, out of respect, of the different ways I saw Grief navigated. I can only tell you that death and life unravel all kinds of mysteries, while keeping some in tact.
You learn a lot about people at vulnerable times.
Yet, I can tell you, something as simple as a familiar hand on your shoulder can pour warm peace on your aching heart...if only for a moment. And I will never forget that.
So, what's my point? Especially now that I'm 23 days into the New Year? I'm not sure exactly. I fully intended to write an up-beat blog post --my first of 2016.
This seemed more important. He was more important.
Rightly so.
"Chaos, then rest. Goodbye, HELLO."
D. LaPorte