I went to lunch with Mary Ann and Jen today, and even though I’m still feeling sad, it was good to get out of the house. We visited a favorite Mexican restaurant, talked things over, laughed a little, and enjoyed each other’s company. Life goes on, thank heaven, and all any of us really have is today. Here in Spokane, the sun is shining, the peonies and irises are still in bloom, and the roses are coming on, ready to take the stage when their short-lived sister flowers take their bows and retreat into the wings to await their next performance. Seems to me, that’s a pretty good analogy for the cycles of life. Flowers bud, bloom, and then, though they seem to die, they are actually working their incredible magic, matrixes of energy hidden away in darkness, hard at work on becoming next year’s glorious blossoms. Maybe, on a spiritual level, it’s that way with people, too. And pets.
And even dreams. Perhaps, in the darkest hours, those nearly forgotten hopes we thought were lost forever are, in truth, shaping and reshaping themselves, somewhere out of sight, fixing to burst into our lives as something new and better than we could have imagined.
Of course nothing blunts the pain of the immediate family and close friends when someone they love passes away, and such comparisons would be mere platitudes to them. I don’t believe in saying things like, “It’s God’s will” to people still reeling from a loss, even when I am certain it’s true, which is most of the time. They’re not ready to hear it, and that’s okay. Better, in my opinion, to say, “I’m here if you need me,” and mean it. Healing is a process, after all, and, like flower bulbs buried under winter snow, processes take time. They’re also different for everyone; some of the bereaved want company, others to be left alone.
I plan to spend the weekend as I normally do–a little writing, a little reading/listening to books, playing with my dogs, petting my kitties, and being grateful for my many, many blessings.
Truly, life is a gift, and it’s so important to celebrate the ordinary moments, for that is where most of us live.
I’ll be back on Monday, announcing this week’s winners of a signed copy of ONCE A RANCHER. The new round will begin then; just comment, and you’re entered. Two winners will be chosen at random, notified, and named on this blog the following Monday. Or Tuesday.
🙂 Enjoy your weekend.
About Linda
The daughter of a town marshal, Linda Lael Miller is a #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than 100 historical and contemporary novels, most of which reflect her love of the West.
Raised in Northport, Washington, Linda pursued her wanderlust, living in London and Arizona and traveling the world before returning to the state of her birth to settle down on a horse property outside Spokane.
