It;x been a funny old month. It started with my birthday and volunteering for a charity that I have a lot of time for. Hstar. I like their work and although I am new to the organisation I valley the people,
Within the week we had driven miles for a family funeral. Saying goodbye is always hard and to be honest in the last 9 years there has been too many goodbyes.
We carried on south to our family holiday with family. So days at the beach and playing games round a table was both fun with the odd bit of tension.
Days that you want to capture family moments, as those moments are things that you will cherish .... and you just never know when they will be gone.
We then do a nearly 500 mile trek home to yet another funeral. This time a friend, gone too soon. This time however it reminds me that time passes too quickly, and suddenly I can say that its nearly 27 years since my husband proposed to me and 29 since we started dating (The first time we dated)
As Balamory says "Where does the time go?"
This year has been quite traumatic..... in so many ways.
People deal with trauma differently.
Grief has been part of my life nearly constantly for 9 years now. It's funny but its kind of like part of me.
One funeral in July I kind of expected, whilst the other a shock.
I have learnt to acknowledge loss as part of my day though.
Whether it is seeing my kids grow and achieve and think my parents would be chuffed or whether it is hearing a song that I associate with a loved one or friend.
Grief is a life long journey.
Sometimes we just have to pause and acknowledge that moment. Pushing it away is not always appropriate.
July is not even finished.
One of the Highlights of July however had to be meeting Erik.
Erik was a friend 27 years ago. We lived and worked in Dublin and we have not met since then. We have sometimes popped up on facebook timelines and chatted but he randomly said he was going to be in Scotland (he is from the USA) and there was ONE day where our calendars synced.
It happened out of the blue with about 48 hr notice and we managed to meet at the railway station and have a lunch together.
The joy that day brought me cut through the other snash.
The excitement of a train ride, anticipating an encounter with a friend.
Even the train journey back was an interesting encounter with a stranger.
Sometimes you just know that God has brought the right people to you at the right time in order to restore your faith in humanity or restore your faith in who you are and what your purpose is.
So look for the gold in your day or month. Even when there are people intent on bringing you down, there are equally people that will hold you up.
If you have people that are willing to journey through the bad with you - cherish them - they are your GOLD
