Lessons

I turned a 7.5 hour drive into a 10.5 hour drive today. My girls and I meandered through the hills of Utah and Wyoming before cruising into Denver. I've never done a road trip quite in that fashion. But it was a beautiful day, and as I reflected on the loss of Eric, I was reminded of what is truly important in life.

During the beginning of the drive, I swear Eric had control of the mix my ipod was playing. From songs we used to dance to in the bar, to bands we saw and loved, song after song reminded me of him. And I was reminded that it's time to slow down. So the girls and I stopped at a park in Rock Springs. But its playground was inferior, so we went searching for a better one. We found a park with a playground and sprayground, so I pulled the luggage out of the car, got the girls changed into swimsuits, and played in the water. We didn't have a towel to dry off after, but that didn't seem to matter. Three hours later, we did it all again in Laramie. My girls were happy, and the kind of wonderful tired that comes from fun in the sun. And my heart was full.

See, all the things that we hurry for, all the things that we think are so important, aren't really. Whatever the reason for my rush the day I didn't stop to give Eric a hug can't have ultimately mattered at all. But I get caught up. I think most of us do. And it is times like these when I remember that all that really matters to me are my people- my family, both blood related and chosen.

I miss Eric a lot. There is a void in this city. But to have known him... well, that was a blessing.