Float on

On April 19 we commemorated 5 years since my Dad passed away. If you haven't lost a loved one, you can't even fathom the emotional devastation that happens to you and everyone you love. Losing my Dad was HUGE, it was by far the biggest event that has happened to my family. It taught me a lot, about what's important, who I am, who I can count on, and what I should be doing in life. After a long period of mourning it also taught me to enjoy every minute of every day. Now of course that can't always be the case. Bad things, bad moods, bad people make that impossible, but I do always try my best!!

Probably the single most important thing my family did was turn the negativity of losing my Dad into a positive force. First of all we enlisted to raise money and awareness for The Alzheimer's Association by participating in The Walk To End Alzheimer's each year since he passed away. We chose The Alzheimer's Association because Alzheimer's Disease greatly contributed to his death. If you lose a loved one choose a cause that they believed in, or raise money for a cure for the disease that contributed either directly or indirectly to their death. Not only will it bring your family together, it will bring them together as a force for good.

For information on joining The Walk to End Alzheimer's click here http://www.alz.org/

The toughest days to face after we lost my Dad were definitely holidays, but more importantly his birthday and the anniversary of the day we lost him. I struggled to come up with a way to commemorate these important dates without going too over the top (yes, I tend to do this). Then I had an "A-HA" moment..... notes to Dad, or about Dad, attached to balloons and released. My mom loved the idea and along with my sister, brother, and aunt we started the tradition. The first time was a bit of a bust. I learned two things:  DON'T buy the balloons the night before and LIGHTER IS BETTER! My long winded sister wrote a novella and put it in a large envelope that was WAY too heavy for a balloon to handle. We've even released them from home if we can't find a time to get to the cemetery.

In the face of tragedy it isn't always easy to see the good. But by taking the time to get involved in a cause TOGETHER the healing process will begin that much faster. ~XOXO jules