Day 2,373

Growth:

One of the most difficult feelings as a father is knowing that your sons are hurting you are powerless to help them. Due to his rapidly declining health we made the decision to put our almost 21 year old cat, Zeke, to sleep this morning. I feel completely powerless and wish there was more I could do to help my sons cope with their feelings of loss, but all I can do is live then, hug them, and support their showing of emotions.

Appreciation:

I’m grateful we’ve raised our dibs to know it is okay to show and share their emotions. Emotions are not something to be ashamed of or to be bottled down. They are meant to be shared and exposed, to help others know we are hurting and could use help and love during a difficult time. The past day has shown very clearly that they both “get it” and are open to sharing emotions. I’m so grateful for that and so proud of both of them!

Presence:

Reminders of the impermanence of life are usually quite difficult. They’re often relatively unexpected and coupled with a profound sense of loss. As bad as they can feel they’re also a source of intense presence. In those moments we have an almost singleminded focus on the present.

Those most difficult of moments may hurt horribly, but they can also the source of great beauty should we choose to see then that way.

Thanks!!!