The Little Things Are The Big Things.

As I get older, so do my parents. I am so grateful for them to still be part of my journey in the physical world. About 8 or 9 years ago I made a commitment to create new memories with them. For my dad’s 70th birthday we went to Turks and Caicos, for my mom’s 70th we went to Mexico, for my parent’s 50th anniversary e went to Italy, and now for my mom’s 77th birthday we are on our way to St. Martin. As you can see we like to travel. I am not saying this to brag. We found a common thing that was meaningful to all of us and create new memories with each other. Lauren is not here physically, she is with us in spirit.

As we were waiting to board the plane, my mom told me that my dad read my story in “Faces of Grief”. He liked it so much, he shared the book with a few friends and even brought the book on the plane to read some of the other stories in the book.

Bringing the book on the plane may not seem like a big thing to some of you, for me, it is huge on many levels. On a basic level, my dad is not a big reader. I have rarely seen him with a book in his hand, never mind my book. And on a deeper level, the fact that he read my story and referred it to a friend was his way of saying how proud he is of all the work that I am doing. He does not always say it in person. So paying attention to those small acts is so important.

People do not always behave the way you want them to behave. To expect them to will cause you pain. People show love and appreciation in all sorts of ways. For some it is saying “I love you”, for others it is giving gifts, for others it is giving unwarranted advice (telling you what to do), and for others it is taking your book on the plane. It is important to honor the unique ways that people show love.

When you are able to accept the love in the way people are showing it, it brings even the most distant relationships closer together.

Blessings,

Jason