Finn was tired and cranky as I pushed him in the stroller. He wriggled and crinkled his nose as I tried to convince him we were “almost done” and “Mommy needs her exercise.” I closed my eyes and leaned my head back as I walked willing patience to come. As I opened my eyes I noticed a woman maybe in her 80s exiting her house. She was impeccably dressed and held a bouquet of flowers in her hand. I waved hello thankful for the distraction. She returned with a huge smile and a big wave. I commented on how beautiful the flowers were. They even complimented her dress!

She looked down at them and smiled even bigger and exclaimed, “I’m going to visit my husband today!” I quickly said, “Oh that’s so nice!” In my distracted and frustrated mind, I was picturing her visiting him in a nursing home. Then I looked closer and realized the flowers were in a green, plastic container…the kind made for pushing into the ground at a gravesite. I stopped walking.

She saw my expression change and offered as she walked down the driveway towards us, “He passed away 2 years ago today.” She went on to tell me that they had been married for 62 years. They only had each other because they couldn’t have children. “Back then” they couldn’t adopt and now she has a friend drive her to visit him once a month. I offered my condolences but she brushed the words off immediately and said, “My dear, I have so much to be grateful for in my life. There’s no reason to be sad. I’ll join my Jack one day. Now, you enjoy your day.” And with that, she was off at a brisk walk to her friend’s house glowing all the positive vibes.

I finished my walk with Finn in silence, thinking, trying not to cry. Finn must have sensed my mood because he was quite too. She reminded me of my Grandmother Sophie who passed away 7 years ago to go be with HER Jack. The fact that their husband’s names were the same probably put my emotions over the top. As my thoughts strayed to my Grandmother who lost her Jack 26 years before joining him, I thought immediately of how she slept every night with his picture on her bedside table. The same picture that is now on my parent’s fireplace mantle. My mind wandered to the albums of pictures we have of them when they were “just kids” smiling and so in love. I thought of the time my boys thought the picture of Great Grandpa Jack was Poppie (my dad) and how we are able to compare them because we have those pictures.

Friends, what I’m trying to say here is don’t wait to capture those memories. Have those portraits taken. PRINT THEM OUT. PUT THEM ON YOUR WALL. And, LOOK at them every day and remember that we have so much to be grateful for in our lives even if we don’t have all of the ‘things’ we want.

When I think of all the things there are to be upset about, frustrated by, annoyed with, disappointed in; in that moment silently walking away from my neighbor pushing Finn who had annoyed me only moments earlier, I realized that there are infinitely more things in my day to be happy about, pacified by, understanding in, and approving of.

Now my friends, you enjoy YOUR day. MAKE IT A GREAT ONE!

XOXO - Megan