Valentines Day

As I look around my house this morning, I'm staring at an awful lot of pink! Pink m&m's in martini glasses atop the entertainment center, Hershey's kisses wrapped in pink, pink heart shaped candy with various messages of love stamped on them, pink flowers in vases, candles in various shades of pink, a large red plastic bin with red, white and pink hearts stuck to it, pink tablecloth and finally the pink nail polish on my fingernails. All remnants of a Valentines Day party held here over the weekend. When I look at all of these things, I can't help but feel good. All reminders of a really fun time that was had with people I love in honor of a holiday that celebrates my favorite thing ever...love. I love love!

My mother's favorite color was pink. That was obvious to the people who attended her wake or funeral where she was dressed in a vibrant shade of pink and wore bright pink lipstick. My dad, her children and their spouses, and grandchildren all wore pink roses in honor of her love for all things pink. How appropriate that a woman whose soul (I meant to spell it that way) purpose in life was to spread love, was in love with the color that represents it. No wonder I feel so good when I look around my house this morning.

Over the years there have been many times that I've questioned my purpose. At times I still struggle with whether I've found it or will ever find it. After all, how does a person ever really know for sure that they've accomplished what they were meant to during their time here on earth? The death of a loved one can leave you with a sense of urgency to find that purpose and fulfill it as quickly as possible. The reality of how short our time here really is hits home when you lose someone you love. With all the questions and doubts, Mom's death has made one thing abundantly clear; my job, regardless of what other endeavors I choose to pursue while here, is to love. My job is to carry on the legacy of what mattered most to my mom.

My mother never worked outside of the home a day in her adult life but the legacy she's left to this earth is one that won't soon be forgotten. That legacy was never more evident than her last week here when she was in the hospital and there was not one minute of that week, day or night, that went by when there wasn't someone with her, holding her hand. We literally would do the "switch off", gently passing her hand from one persons to the next, putting a cool cloth on her head, talking to her and letting her know that the efforts of her lifetime were not for naught. We would be there for her, just as she had been for each and every one of us, until she drew her last breath.

After she passed, my father received a card from one of the doctors (who we loved) who cared for Mom during that last week. The card stated that she had never witnessed such an amazing family bond and that the love that could be felt by her, as well as other members of the hospital staff that week, was a true testament to the person my mother was and the relationship that my parents shared.

And there you have it! That's the way love works. You don't need to work all that hard to spread it, it does that all on it's own. All you have to do is DO it. Regardless of what else I may or may not accomplish while I'm here, this much I know I can do. I'm not sure there's anything more important than that.

Think I'll wear pink more often, it's really a great color!

Happy Valentines Day!

xo,
Carrie