Life has been crazy, beautiful this year, and I realized just this morning how close we are to nearing the end of it. Contrary to what my title suggests, this year has seen little of what I would call drama, but has had its share of challenges, mixed with new experiences, and I am heading out of it with a a greater appreciation of self and life than I had when I came into 2015.
Death sucks. If you have time to prepare yourself for the death of a loved-one, then please take advantage of the opportunity. Poseidon and his mother lost a dear family friend early this year without much warning. She went to the hospital for a toe that wouldn't heal and died a few short weeks later, never having left the hospital. The sore toe led to a below-the-knee amputation, and after the amputation, blood work revealed terminal ovarian cancer, and she left us less than 2 weeks later.
We then had to say goodbye to our fur girl, Kat. One of the hardest things I've had to go through. Poseidon and I traveled to Austin, TX in May for a music festival, expecting to kick-off a super summer, and a week after our return, we had to let her go. Quickly. Without warning. Without time to prepare.
Last month, my sweet, kind Aunt Judy left suddenly, and far too young, stunning us all. We are still grieving the loss. She just turned 60 in March. She was my dad's baby sister. October 20 will be what would have been my dad's 70th birthday.
So, we've experienced huge losses in such a short time, but we are stronger for it and have also experienced beauty, and have managed to stay above water (salmon pun intended here, for sure).
My inspiration for this post came from a picture I took earlier this month in Iceland at Faxi waterfall on the Tungufljót river. This salmon ladder was near the falls. I was looking through some of my pictures from that trip and this one inspired me.
Many salmon species migrate during the autumn months, September through November, and most of us know about the epic journey salmon take upstream, only to die after spawning.
This is my cheesy ending, but something I've learned this year after experiencing a great deal of death in my circle, but a great deal of beauty in my travels: though the end is dramatic, the journey need not be because it is a true account of the circle of life.
