Hello friends, and welcome to this month’s
Joyinmovement letter.
This photograph is a picture of my nephew and niece as they were about
20 years ago! I have always kept these letters current and relevant as
to what’s uppermost on my mind. In continuing to do so, it saddens me to
write that earlier this week my brother passed away. He was 2 years
younger than me. He had been told he had cancer and 6 months to live,
and within two days he was gone. As soon as I found out about the cancer
I made plans to visit him in Florida but didn’t get there before he
died.
20 years ago! I have always kept these letters current and relevant as
to what’s uppermost on my mind. In continuing to do so, it saddens me to
write that earlier this week my brother passed away. He was 2 years
younger than me. He had been told he had cancer and 6 months to live,
and within two days he was gone. As soon as I found out about the cancer
I made plans to visit him in Florida but didn’t get there before he
died.
He was a kind and caring guy with a quirky sense of
humor and an undying love for the Green Bay Packer’s football team. He
lived most of his life in Oregon so even though we didn’t live near one
another we did see each other as often as we could and I have many many
fun and fond memories. I know he loved me, respected me and was proud of
me, as I was of him. He was one of the good guys!
humor and an undying love for the Green Bay Packer’s football team. He
lived most of his life in Oregon so even though we didn’t live near one
another we did see each other as often as we could and I have many many
fun and fond memories. I know he loved me, respected me and was proud of
me, as I was of him. He was one of the good guys!
As I often do when I need some time and space to
sort things through, I took a long long walk today. It was rainy and
windy but the air felt clean and it was easy to go inside and flush some
feelings out. An insight came to me that I’d like to share it with you.
sort things through, I took a long long walk today. It was rainy and
windy but the air felt clean and it was easy to go inside and flush some
feelings out. An insight came to me that I’d like to share it with you.
I am an appreciative and grateful woman. I express
my thanks, tell people what they mean to me and even in this day of
email I still send thank you cards. I was thinking about how easily I
give thanks and how it’s more difficult for me to RECEIVE thanks. I was
remembering many of the times when I had in some way helped my brother
and how when he would thank me I would brush it off as “no big deal,
that’s what sisters are for.” And he would do the same when I thanked
him. I realized that in not stopping to really take in someones “thank
you” we deprive ourselves of that special feeling of knowing that what
we did mattered to someone else. Resting in the receiving moment is just
as important as expressing thanks. As I lay my brother to rest I hope
he’s taking in how much he mattered to me. He will be missed.
my thanks, tell people what they mean to me and even in this day of
email I still send thank you cards. I was thinking about how easily I
give thanks and how it’s more difficult for me to RECEIVE thanks. I was
remembering many of the times when I had in some way helped my brother
and how when he would thank me I would brush it off as “no big deal,
that’s what sisters are for.” And he would do the same when I thanked
him. I realized that in not stopping to really take in someones “thank
you” we deprive ourselves of that special feeling of knowing that what
we did mattered to someone else. Resting in the receiving moment is just
as important as expressing thanks. As I lay my brother to rest I hope
he’s taking in how much he mattered to me. He will be missed.
In honor of my brother I’ll close with his favorite
quote, “Go Packers!”
quote, “Go Packers!”
until next month: give,
receive and enjoy your life!
receive and enjoy your life!
shelli
Comments are closed.