It's a Good Day

It's gloomy out, but it's a good day! Yesterday, Mark had a great day at work and I had a great day with an old friend. Here at Haluwasa we have two retreats coming up in March. Part of Mark's job is organizing the leadership, the counselors, and the speaker, so Praise God that he accomplished most of that yesterday! I got to spend most of the day with a friend I have missed a lot, and it was so great because we have both grown and changed, but at the same time it was just like in high school where we would giggle for hours over the silliest things! I just posted a photo blog of all of these pictures from the time Mark and I dated to our engagement and then up to our wedding/honeymoon. Such a sweet year, but also so sad. It's not featured in any of the photos, but I had to say goodbye to four members of my family last year. It was incredibly hard because I have never dealt with a death in the family before. My mother is still recovering, and it will probably take a few years to heal. She lost her father and a dear sister. (And also my dad's mother, and my Nanny, my Pop-Pop's wife of 23 years, as long as I've been alive).
Aunt Dot was probably the hardest to lose. She died of Pancreatic Cancer. I never met anyone who embodied what it meant to give of yourself quite like she did. She gave and gave until she passed. A week before she passed, she asked my mom and I to go shopping for a necklace that I could wear for my wedding because she wanted to buy that for me. Who worries about what jewelry their niece is going to wear for her wedding while on their deathbed? Aunt Dot. She also set up a connection with a wholesale floral supply company for us to do our own flowers. (She was a florist. I always had the most beautiful recital bouquets!) She got married in the 60s and had a "Camelot" theme. Since her wedding was in December she had a hooded, crushed velvet cape made to wear on her wedding day. She gave it to me when I was 9 years old to wear for my uncle's wedding, but my mom had it dry-cleaned for me to wear at my wedding. That was one of my favorite parts of my ensemble! So really, Aunt Dot was there anyway, even if only in spirit.
I start my job at Trader Joe's today! I work from 1pm-9pm, so Mark will be eating all the leftovers in the frig for dinner! I have to get ready, even though it's only 10am, but I have stuff to do around the house. There's always going to be stuff! Peace.