Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Well first of all let me tell you how much i hate the fall, its when things start to die and gets dark early and i simply hate it--- but as November comes along i have both grandpas birthdays and my friend Nadine's too but the November 3rd birthday is one i have been think about this year, its my grandpa Rankin's birthday, sadly Grandpa Rankin was taken home to Heaven almost6 years ago. As his birthday approaches i am reminded of how some people handle death and how you either have tons of regrets for not involving that person more in your life and finding yourself asking if that person knew how much they meant to you. I personally know that my grandpa knew that i loved him. He and i spent many camping trips together, we shared broken hearts and he tried to make me laugh by calling all my boyfriends (even crushes) who hurt my feelings "peckerheads" and cried with me, he came to as many of extra curricular activites as he could. I loved that i was so involved with him! i have no regrets which makes me feel at peace with his passing away--

as i have pondered the whole "circle of life" i am reminded of a tribute that my boss at the Day Treatment wrote when his son was taken from him. Gary is one the best bosses that i have ever worked for and has taught me a lot! i am blessed that i got to know him and he truly put a lot of things into perspective... here is what he wrote to everyone who wrote on his sons guest book at the time of his passing:

"Death is the most feared experience in this existence. It is also the greatest gift we will receive. Some have talked about the two doors. Birth is the entrance door where we enter a body, necessary to be in this world. There is pain, separation and fear that we are all alone. you come from a place where you are whole with all that is and the most traumatic experience is when you open your eyes and see your self separate. The other door is when you shed the illusion of being separate. Shed yourself of all the dear and hurt and step into unconditional love. One the strange things about this life is that when a close one leaves those around us seem to shed these burdens of life as well. People forget the mundane focus of their life and give unconditionally of their love and mater things lose all meaning. For a short time loving each other is the only focus of our awareness. Maybe, when the door is opened for our loved one, some of what is on the other side spills through. I share the thing i feel as maybe and explanation of the overwhelming love, sacrifice and giving I have experienced from those around me as [name] left his world. He life not only his pain behind, but gave us am opportunity to examine why we do not, every day act as we did when he left us, We found ourselves saying "I love you" at the end of every conversation we had with our friends and loved ones. What is real is that we always, always, and forever have loved those around us. In this illusion of this short life we forgot this. "

WOW! right?!? seriously it is awesome how some people can deal with things differently. I challenge all of us to try to live life without regrets. May everyone be blessed with good events, but if by chance the Lord has something different for you know that people are there to help you cope and deal. I love how Gary puts things into an awesome perspective!

Thanks Grandpa R for being so wonderful and willing to do anything for us! We miss you but we know your spirit is with us after all you always told us that when you died you would come back as a german brown fish and Maximus caught a german brown the first time he went fishing the summer after you passed! your with us now grandpa safe sound and void of pain and suffering. Your with people who love you!

Thanks to everyone who reads and follows my blog- i hope you enjoy reading as much as i love blogging! more to come in the next few days!!!