Yesterday my husband bought flowers for another woman.

Yesterday my husband bought flowers for another woman.
It made me sad, but not for the reasons you might guess.
Today it is 21 years since his mother left us, cancer took her body.

Loss is such an evolution.
I remember the sadness of that day... and the momentum forward and the "healing" from sadness. 
But what's most remarkable to me...
is that as we go through life, it is how that loss revisits in new ways.

When she passed his brother was in his late twenties with three children, we were in our early twenties, just graduated from college and not yet married and his sister was sixteen. 

Over these past 21 years... his brother's daughters have grown, graduated and had children of their own... she would now be a great-grandmother. 
We have married, had children and gone back to school ourselves.
His sister had proms, graduated from high school and college, married and had children of her own.

This year my baby turned 16...
that hits any mother like a ton of bricks anyway. 
But what struck me, was that this was the age that Dana lost her mother.
I sob just thinking about that for her, and now from the perspective of the mother of a 16 year old.

All this loss and sadness could and sometimes does cripple. 
It certainly changes perspective.
 
Wallowing in sadness and anger, while tempting at times,
 really just continues to steal from you.

On the right column of the blog is an amazing poem about survival...
when I read it I think about how it's really a tribute to resiliency and the keys to knowing what to cling to.

I'm continuing to build our web store in hope of making a difference in the lives of any family battling cancer, by supporting United Cancer Services. 

Today we will choose not to focus on the loss, but on the fun.... actually hilarious memories and realize she is always with her children and is helping others battle as we now begin this leg of the journey supporting United Cancer Services.

Please visit their page to learn more about their great work...
http://elkhartcancer.org/

If you are interested in our products dedicated to raising awareness and funds for United Cancer Services ...
http://shop.charmedbychoice.com/

Also see our pin on Pinterest...
http://pinterest.com/source/shop.charmedbychoice.com/