Celebrating Life and Honoring Death

I have been on a great roll of writing in my blog on a weekly basis and wanted to keep the momentum going, but topics sometimes can be hard to figure out. So the other day I was staring at my calendar where I write friends birthdays and noticed that from March 17-27 I had four birthdays written down. Among those birthdays however, I have one other date in remembrance and that is the date of my sister Joyce's passing. That date I don't have to write down because it is burned into my memory. On that date she would be gone 22 years and that date is March 26th. So it got me to thinking about the celebration of birth and life and the honoring of death and that persons life as well.

I adore my friends and like to make their birthdays special, because I believe that everyone wants to feel special on that particular day. I try to be as creative as I can, some years more than others but no matter what, that day does not go by without an acknowledgment of the birth of their life from me. And depending on the person, I totally remind them (as if they did not know) how long they have lived on this earth. This is especially fun if they have been around longer than me (funny how that feels "fun" as we get older). So among the congratulatory celebrations over those days I have one very life that I celebrate in my own way on the day of her death. I light a candle, I look at pictures and I remember moments we shared as tears fall along my face. And I also smile and laugh as I honor those beautiful moments. I miss her. I miss her A LOT. I am sad she never met my daughter (who is named after her) and I am sad that my daughter never met her aunt Joyce. I am sad for my parents whose first born they outlived as the "natural order of things" says that is not suppose to happen. She would be turning 58 years old in May if she had lived beyond only 35 years. Not long enough especially when 6 of those years she was sick. Death is hard to wrap your head round, at least in cases like this for me it is. I like to think that there is a reason for everything but I have a hard time with this one as it sits so very close to home...it is home. I resolve myself by imagining she is doing something really great somewhere, where she was needed more than here on earth. The day she was buried my mother insisted she be dressed in the most beautiful blue dress that Joyce loved. I remember my mom saying "She's going to be the best dressed one up there", I laughed and thought "yes she will".



So here is celebrating your lives...Deb 3/17, Bobbie 3/23, Danae 3/24, Heidi 3/27 and yes my sister Joyce I celebrate your beautiful life too even in death. I love you all...