October 14, 2012: On the road again and CHOC Walk!

Heaveno!

Well, tough week, not gonna lie.  Thursday was the 2 year anniversary of Bella's reunion with heaven. Ang was home balancing work and kids and I was holed up in suburban Chicago for our music therapy national conference.  I took that morning off so I could have some me and Bella time.  I was planning on going for a run or walk on the golf course at the resort where the conference was, but when that morning arrived, all I could do was just hide under the covers.  I just couldn't get out of bed.

And that's okay.

That afternoon, I was teaching business marketing and networking skills with some colleagues to about a dozen fellow music therapists, and we needed some extra copies of some handouts.  Our breakout room was W-A-Y off at the end of the property, so it was a LONG walk back to the business center.  Because the weather was fairly warm and sunny that afternoon, I opted to walk back to the biz. center along the golf course...

... and the neatest thing happened.

As I was walking, I smelled Minnesota, particularly Como Conservatory, where Bella's MN memorial was.  One might say that the trees in IL resemble the trees in MN far more than CA... so I immediately picked up on the smell of falling leaves mingling with still-green grass.  In the late afternoon sunshine, I breathed in MN and Bella with every breath I took walking back to the business center, and again on the way back.  It felt like God or Bella's way of helping me feel connected to something somehow, given how DISconnected I felt that very morning.

God loves to hand out those little marathon cups to us all as we are running this marathon of life.  He doesn't give us a gallon of water, just enough to keep us going.  Who can run with a gallon jug anyway?


Yesterday was the 3rd annual CHOC walk for Team Bella!  Many thanks to our friend and photographer Sara Cooper for setting this up again, and to grandma and grandpa, and Susie and Steven for walking with Sara, Ang, and the kids.  Again, it was tough not being there, but the pics are just so wonderful that just seeing them made my heart melt and make me feel closer.  Thanks again, Sara, for not just setting up the event, but capturing it on stunning photography!

Enjoy the pics.

God night.