The Gist

A few days ago, my bestie suffered an unthinkable loss. As I sat at the funeral with a broken heart and tears streaming I was not only overcome with sadness, but also with divine joy. I know that sounds a little odd, let me explain...

I've been to funerals and weddings of many different faiths and sometimes very little faith at all. They've all had varying levels of formality and the ceremonial traditions have been different, yet the sentiments are always the same, each one extremely beautiful in their own right. 

Most incorporate music that transcends language and moves the gathered. Even when I can't understand a single word and some notes may be off-key, to hear a community sing together soothes my soul and makes me feel...stuff. 

But what each and every one of them has in common is quite simple: love and connectedness.

They are a physical and visual manifestation of the bonds we've created, the lives we've touched, and the love we've shared, all in one space. We are surrounded by "our" people and the community we've created -- people who fill a space with as much love and affection as it can hold. It's both one of the most beautiful gifts to witness and a reflection of the life lived. 

Merriam-Webster defines love as "strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties...." 

Love doesn't care about your religious beliefs, the color of your skin, where you came from or what's in your bank account. Love permeates all barriers and is the purest form of human emotion. And for me, it's what life is all about.

Think about it: how different would birthdays, celebrations, weddings, and funerals look if there was no one else there? No one to share them with? No one else to witness your joy or share your burden?

I find myself feeling most alive when I feel love and connectedness with others. And it is through my relationships and what I learn from them where my hope lives to leave my world a little better than I found it. To have cultivated such strong bonds and have felt such intense love is to have succeeded in my time here on Earth. Love <3     

In loving memory of Kathy Green

and 

those who have left beautiful footprints in our hearts.