Listen

I was reminded once again just how fragile life is.  As I sat in the balcony of Riverbend Church on Monday and starred down at the back of a precious 16 year old boy as we all remembered and said good-bye to his mother, I couldn't hold back the tears.  We just never know when the last day will be, the last time we will say "I love you" or hug someone.  I hug and kiss on my kids probably more than they like, but they will never say they did not know how much I love them.  I know Stacy's kids will say the same about her, that she had unconditional love for them and showed them all the time.  Losing her reminds me that we never know what is going on in someones head, or in their home behind closed doors or the demons they may be fighting internally.  That so often, you look at someone and you think they have everything. How could they possibly be unhappy?  They look like they have the perfect life.  It is a reminder to listen to your friends and family more than talk sometimes, that they may just be waiting for someone to listen to them.  Stacy's husband wrote the most beautiful letter to her that was read at the funeral reminding us that it doesn't matter the date of birth or death, but what you made of the dash in between.  For that dash represents the other lives that that person has changed.  That without the pain he is feeling now, he would not have been given all the good and happy times with Stacy and would have never received the greatest gift that she gave him, their boys.  It has been hard to understand why she would do this, and no matter how many times I ask myself, I know I will probably never really know the answer.  She taught me to always give 110%.  She pushed us until we couldn't be pushed anymore.  She taught us how to persevere and persist, strive for perfection; perfect practice makes perfect, and to dedicate ourselves to difficult goals, and then achieve them.  And while doing these things, to always have a strong positive attitude and never take "no" for an answer.
I will without a doubt think about her when I dance, as that is how she lived her life...through dancing!

I certainly came home and hugged my kids a little tighter.  It is hard not to get caught up in the day to day struggles of getting everyone dressed, fed, packed, clean the house, run errands, make meals, clean up again and again and again, return e-mails and texts, "liking" instagram posts, running, and answering questions from your kids all day long, laundry, cleaning up again and breaking up arguments.  It was an important reminder to slow down, realize those things don't really matter and put all those things aside and to just be there for our kids and just LISTEN. A reminder to slow down and pay attention to those around us, that they just may be asking for help in a quiet way, that even though they seem to have it all, it may not be so.