Circle of Life

It has been hard 36 hours or so for me. I've done a lot of reflecting about how precious life is, how grateful I am for my healthy family, and how much my heart hurts for my friends suffering the loss of their son. But this afternoon I received a nudge of hope from my ever-gracious God. I went to a baby shower for one of the dance teachers at our studio. She teaches Jocie's creative movement class as well as Ava's acro class, and she taught my adult jazz class last year. It was a great evening with many friends playing silly games, oohing and aahing over cute clothes and gifts, and celebrating the parents-to-be and the little boy they will soon be welcoming into the world. It was nice to be laughing and having a good time, and remembering that while life is full of endings, there are just as many beginnings. I am still heartbroken that Everett is gone, but I am also mindful of how he impacted me as a person. Our relationship has ended, as many do for one reason or another in this journey of life. But in a few weeks, I will get to welcome little Jaxon into my heart. The cycle of life means lots of hellos and goodbyes, and while that can be hard our lives would not be complete without each and every person that has touched us, even for the briefest of moments.