Full Disclosure: This post comes with connections to other healing allies as well inspirational posts that are ever so close to my heart… There is no way I can contain links to the recommended limit of three… Grab a box of tissues, your favorite beverage and reading spot, then put your feet up and sit with me for a while…I’m so happy you’re here…
Dearest Journeyer,
This past week has been a rife with pain, suffering, doubt, chaos…
…hope…
and, yes, happiness…
Something I loved to the center of my being was accidentally destroyed…
and a piece of me died…
Our beloved family pooch of thirteen years has been in a rapid state of decline the past two months and on Thursday my family made the courageous and compassionate decision to end the suffering that had been causing him to chew chunks of flesh from his leg…
Warren, Big Guy, Beauty, and I gathered around and gave him every ounce of our love as he took his last breath…
and a piece of me died…
Words fraught with tension and fear and anger and confusion were shared between a business associate and me…
and a piece of me died…
I discovered some silly little lies that a loved one told…
and a piece of me died…
Memories of Leiby Kletzky, his brutal murder and the heartache I felt for his family surfaced when an eight-year old girl in our school district went missing…
and a piece of me died…
I tried to maintain hope as each of these things threatened to tear apart my heart…
And I worked as hard as I could to give attention to those miraculous little moments that feed my happy organ…
These are a few of the things that breathed life back into me…
The final recipient of my #BestTeachersGiftsGiveaway sent me THIS VIDEO with the note: “This made me think of you.”
TIP: Grab a box of tissues before watching THE VIDEO
Having a few minutes and the means to prepare a delicious dinner for my family…
And in one of my favorite casserole dishes, no less!
Witnessing the spectacular journey of a young bird learning to fly…
My family and I are able to share an end-of-life experience together…one that is complete with ritual, love, light, and, yes, the beginning of our individual grief journeys…
All of our animals whose spirits have moved on are buried here, beneath this magnificent tree at the edge of our field
Procession to the gravesite
Taking the time to write Healing and the Two Sides of Flight…
Finally completing and submitting an application to share The Five Facets Philosophy on Healing at the North Carolina Fall Social Work Conference…
And receiving this text from the guy who has been working on Zee for more than ten months:
“Here is a sneak peek.”
My Zee’s Renovation
Though plenty of people have told me that this car was created to fly, I have no intention of learning just how fast she can go…though I must admit I’ve thought about taking her to a local track to put her through a few paces…
The words Fast, furious, and oh so fun remind me of one of the first posts I ever wrote, Journeyer.
At the Helm of a Shooting Star is a family memory created with our firstborn, long after his death…
It’s also the inspiration behind a very special gift I commissioned to commemorate his twenty-fifth birthday…one that should be here in the coming weeks…
Hubby and I spent a few hours looking at the options for the bathroom we are finally able to add to our upstairs floor…
I was lucky enough to be in the right social media place at the right time…and received a free one-hour Shattering My Glass Ceiling spiritual coaching session (via phone, which also made it possible and convenient!) from Colleen Parsons…a highly intuitive, giving, person of grace and the founder of Inner Decisions…
A discussion which gave me a little more clarity on what trust means to me and to get in touch with some of the fear that stands between me and Trust…
I finally re-connected with Tanya Brown, another ally in healing, and I’m super excited about our upcoming chat date!
And today I am enjoying listening to Big Guy and his crew who have gathered together at our house for the evening…
Journeyer, I know there are those of you who feel like your world has shattered, like your life IS your depression, your sadness/anxiety/fear/suffering/sickness, but please, please, please trust me when I say that you ARE NOT defined by any of those things and they ARE NOT your entire life…
I know it feels that way…but if you will allow yourself the space and permission to acknowledge and accept those simple moments that bring a smile to your face or warmth to your heart, then you will know the happiness that co-exists with the shittier side of life.
All it needs and wants is for you to love it and to give it equal opportunity to fill you up…
For when we find a way to let go of the negative that holds us captive, even if we’re able to let go only for a brief moment, we fly…
Do you believe, Journeyer? Please take a moment and make it happen by sharing your #HappyHappens moment in the comments below!
Until we meet again, yours in hope, healing, and happiness,
2 Comments on “Flying Lessons”
Oh Annah – I’m so sorry. We lost our big bear of a dog this year too. I feel your pain -and am sending all my positive energy to you and your family.
“Big bear of an old dog…” Sending hugs to you, too, Liv. There are so many rituals that I go to do every day, only to realize, “oh, that’s right…he’s not here, anymore…”
That sadness, however, is made lighter by the fact that I know we made the right decision by him and that he was able to leave this world before his dignity was destroyed and his gentle temperament tampered by pain…
I kept hoping he’d go in his sleep, so I/We didn’t have to make that decision, but even as his body failed, his spirit to stay held him here…
What about you? Did you big fella go peacefully in his sleep? Does your family have certain rituals or ways of processing this sort of loss?