Thank You...

I've been meaning to thank everyone for their kind words concerning both Amelia's death and my grandma's. They were definitely a help in this hard time.

It's weird, because death is something that is very connected with life and is ever present and surrounds us completely. From the dying of the sun each day, to the spinning of the wheel of the year, to the trees shedding their leaves... in other parts of the world, it's even more apparent and the lives of those they love are thought of as mere transitory visits, brief and beautiful, but without a doubt a thing that will end. We all understand this concept, but at the very heart of it, it's as though we're saying goodbye to someone we love and no matter how much we can rationalize the hurt and pain away with words of calm, words of wisdom, or verses from religious source, it does not change the sting of having someone very much beloved ripped away.

With that said, we are trying very hard to carry on and move forward without too much grief. We are not privileged enough to despair completely and languish in our misery. Instead of sadness, we must opt for hope and love.

We must carry on and be strong. The times are calling us to be strong and hopeful. The times are calling us to remember and reflect, but not to wallow. We must build higher and greater visions, honoring those who have passed, but striving ever forward.

So, that we will do... we will be what the times call for us to be.