Today I was honored to go to the memorial service of an amazing woman. A young mother of 36 whose life was cut short due to aggressive Breast Cancer. It was a celebration of life, her life, and the fun memories that lifted everyone that she met up to reach their highest potential. Laughter and tears intermixed as each shared personal stories.
She was an example of strength and love. For me, it was a reminder to live every moment, be present with every moment, and savor every moment with loved ones. I have written about the heart’s amazing capacity to love, to expand to have enough love for everyone, even through adversity. She was a shining example of helping others learn their purpose and life lessons. Her mantra “Be comfortable with the uncomfortableness because when you can embrace that, you can move forward.” spoke to me in so many ways. Life always becomes “uncomfortable” just before growth happens. You have the choice to embrace it, face it, or avoid it. Embracing life’s “growing pains” may not be the easiest decision, but you move toward your truth faster, gaining strength as you go. The longer you avoid it, the more the uncomfortableness settles into your bones as a constant reminder, a constant ache that you are not being honest with yourself.
I may not have met her personally, but she touched my life in many ways, peripherally. Her story of love after divorce gave me hope. I can only imagine how it felt: the flush of emotion of finding someone and then the heart-wrenching diagnosis soon after of aggressive Breast Cancer. The knowledge that time was so limited makes one cherish every day, every moment, every second. It brings tears to my eyes to think about finding that person, that one person who loves you no matter what, only to have them slip away at any moment by an illness you can’t control. It is a reminder to all of us to cherish, truly cherish, every second with everyone important in our lives and never miss an opportunity to show that we care.
So, take that extra time, give that extra hug, and be there…REALLY BE THERE in that moment…stop rushing, stop moving, just be…just be, enjoying the stillness of being close to the ones you love.