We Come to Honor that Allegiance…

The past three months have been the most emotionally straining moments in my +50 years of life. Losing both my sister and mother within such a short span of time and dealing with the weight that comes with such lose has been almost more that I could bear. The solace;The light; The silver lining in this has been learning who my people are.

The true nature of a person and your relationship can be most exposed during times of deep stress. In my case I got to see the hearts of many over the past few months as I went through the process of dealing with my personal loss. I realize how blessed I am to have the allegiance of certain people in my life.

So THANK YOU to those who sent cards & flowers; planted trees; and shared words of encouragement. I want to doubly thank those who provided meals and made social time with me to help keep my mind off the incredible sadness that was ever present. I very deeply want to thank those who took the time to come to my hometown and attend one or both of the services. I cannot overstate how it made me feel to exchange texts with friends only to be told “We are coming.We will be there”. A old high school friend of mine reminded me of the fact that I was at the funeral for his mom when she passed many years ago and he had not forgotten that. It’s a bit like the arrival of the Elves at Helm’s Deep to help the men of Rohan defend against the Orcs (Yes a LOTR geek moment here). That outpouring of caring gave me the strength I needed to do the hard things. To have people who care and respect you enough to show up is the secret sauce to success in this life.

To those who honored our allegiance I thank you for what you have done for me during this time. It shall not be forgotten.