Over the years, I have written about my night out with Natalie on March 15, 2007. It was a rainy Thursday night, nothing out of the ordinary, but what turned out to be extraordinary. After dinner I got a hankering for ice cream, and Roslyn and Chris weren’t feeling well so I decided to take Natalie out to Cold Stone Creamery. As I’ve noted over the years, a lot has changed, locations have come and gone, but it’s all ok because everything changes in time. As I wrote in my article on grief, the only thing in life that’s certain is nothing is certain. We as human beings are constantly changing, impacted by life's ups and downs. Two years ago, I questioned why some years are harder than others when it comes to grief—and the best I could come up with is that “we as human beings don’t stay static so why should our grief?”
This year will mark 18 years since that special outing with
Natalie and the passage of time has given me some new perspectives on love,
loss, and the choices we make in life. I didn’t know it at the time, but taking
Natalie out for ice cream that night was one of those choices that I’m beyond
grateful that I made. It’s the kind of thing that I could have very easily
decided not to do.
My lesson from this is simple—do the thing. Listen to your gut. Nobody knows how long we get to be alive, so do all the things. Make the memories. Appreciate the people you love. Because even after you’re gone, those who are left behind will have those memories to remember you by. Carpe diem!
It is a powerful reminder of how Natalie lived life to the absolute fullest. She taught me and everyone whose life she touched the true meaning of joy. I am forever grateful I got to be her Mom. I love you forever and always, my sweet baby girl. I am doing my best to live by your example—even when life gives you lemons, I am trying my best to make lemonade. 💜💜💜
No comments:
Post a Comment