I love everything about it. I realized that, even though I've only just seen it written down, it's kinda been my life's mantra since well, forever. I feel incredibly lucky that this sort of mindset is not something I have to work at even one teeny tiny bit.
But, a few weeks ago, I briefly referred to a rough couple of days I had. I won't deny that cardio barre was incredibly difficult, or that work was insanely stressful, but what was really getting me down was the news that my Grandpa had passed away.
He was 95 and we had been anticipating his passing for quite some time. But it's a little different when the time actually comes. Knowing that this life- one so worldly and full of love, and which had always had a strong presence in my own - had ended, really got to me.
I consoled myself by remembering the last time I had seen him, probably about a month or so prior. As sick with Parkinson's as he was, there were two things that really punctuated the whole day: 1, He was very concerned about "the plan". Just a general plan for going forward. And equally important as "the plan" was that all family members agreed with it. 2, One mention from my dad about the "big game" and he lit up with excitement about the Cal v. Stanford football game. He had gone to Cal and his Bear pride was overwhelming in the best way.
There was something so sweet about the way in which he came out of his fog for a brief moment to make sure that the whole family was being included. It was almost as though the disease had pared his personality and soul down to it's very basics: The importance of having a plan, building your life's plan around your family, and the Cal Bears. I couldn't help but think of myself and what would be the things I would say, if I were 95 and suffering from Parkinson's... Lord knows I won't be concerned with any sort of plan. I only hope they will be as pure as my grandfather's.
95 years is a long life to live. And to have such peace at the end of it, as he did, is remarkable and something I believe in striving for. To me, that means living in a way that leaves me with little to no regrets, embracing life with everything I have, and being grateful for every second of it - even the bad. My wise Mamma is constantly telling my siblings and I that "grateful hearts are happy hearts". She's always right about everything, so I took her word for it, but never has anything been proven more true than my Grandpa at 95.
Believing that life is a Cha-Cha, that good will always follow bad, and vice versa, is one way to start. xo
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