A Tribute to Life

A lot has happened since my last blog post (and believe it or not SJ, I intended to blog about these events, yet time has snuck up on me and this is my first chance to sit down with my laptop and let my fingers dance over the keys) such as TWO really hot make-out sessions with the tattooed tipper, spending the weekend with the Asian and then "breaking up" with him,  saying farewell to Grandma, and hearing other tragic news making my week whirlwind and summarized into three deaths, two funerals.

It's been a hectic couple of weeks.

Anyway, the weather is finally pulling through and giving us some nice sunny days and I took the opportunity to walk in the woods and sort some things out that have been going through my head lately.  The first hike of the season I spent a lot of time thinking about my grandma.  I had gone down to see her and say my goodbye to her a few days prior to the hike and I didn't think she would last much longer.  I even prayed that God would just take her home so she wouldn't have to suffer any longer.  (She passed away 12 hours after my hike...)  But the one thing that I couldn't get off my mind during this hike was LIFE and how it is all around us.

It's even more evident in spring and on a first hike of the season.  New life is everywhere.  Moss is growing over dead trees, flowers are popping up under a pile of shrubs, birds are singing, and life continues to grow and thrive as I walked through nature, observing the mystery of it all.

Each step had me pondering about purpose and if I was living my life to full potential, and as I started to make my way up a familiar hill, my breathing got heavier and heavier.  I had to stop, not only because I was out of breath, but because I wanted to jot down everything on my mind.

This is what I scribbled down....

It doesn't matter how many times I've hiked up this hill, I am always breathing heavy by the time I reach the top.  My heart is pounding and I can feel it outside of heart, on my arm, in my stomach, and down my thighs.  My whole body screams it's alive and in full throttle.  And I wonder how many moments like this I really have in life, when I am so in tune to everything my heart is saying in the moment.  Did my heart beat like this when I got my driver's permit?  Did my heart pump through every vein when I talked to that guy for the first time?  Did I feel this alive when I woke up this morning? 

Life is amazing.  It's full of simple moments that open our eyes to a new understanding.  Life is full of joy.  It takes our breath away when we least expect it, and that is a beautiful thing.

With the passing of my Grandma, and "Crazy Aunt" Betty, and Shawn's twin Shannon, all in the same week, it's really made me take the time to appreciate life and all of it's little unexpected blessings. 

I've heard all the tributes to those who have passed, so I guess that's why I wanted to take the time to post a tribute to living a life worth remembering, so someday someone can tell stories about how crazy I was at my funeral because I wasn't afraid to life my life.