Warning... sad blog ahead, Reminder that LOVE is ALL YOU REALLY NEED

I have met a new friend named Anita. She is one of the mom's that stands around and waits with her child until the bus comes. We have been making small talk for weeks now. She had seemed really shy so I was careful not to overwhelm her with my somewhat overly friendly personality( thank you Trista for that).
Anyway, yesterday we talked a bit more about her life here. In the previous weeks we talked about all the usual small talk things. I knew that she had recently moved to WA also, but from AZ. We had talked about the warmer weather in the States we came from, and the lack of moisture that we left behind, stuff like that. We had talked about how busy boys can be and the joy they bring. We talked about school and about the fact that it is hard to go back to school when you are older. She is enrolled in some classes right now as well. What we didn't talk about is why she moved back to WA.
Well, yesterday she told me that she moved here because her husband recently passed away in October and all of her family is here.

I was shocked and instantly so emotional about it, but I held it together because the kids were still there. She said she didn't want to tell me because she didn't want ME to be uncomfortable. She has a son in kindergarten who Isaiah plays with and Chloe is his big-helper at their school. After the kids got on the bus, I tried to hold it together in front of her, but I am sure she saw my eyes well up with tears. We both had stuff to do that day so we walked our separate ways after that, and when I got home I really started to cry. I can't imagine that kind of pain and sorrow. I called Mo to tell him about it, and also just to tell him that I love him.

It reminded me that you never really know what might be going on in others lives and not to jump quickly to conclusions.

That night when Mo got home I hugged him a bit longer and started to cry again.
No matter what happens in life in the moments that bring struggles and hardships we have each other.
We have each other. We can call each other through out our day. We can stare at the other person as long as we want. We can say I love you. We can fold their laundry and not linger longer for their smell because we can smell them later in the flesh. We can hear their voice. We can hold hands. We can kiss. We can LOVE unselfishly and enjoy life together. The good and the bad we can experience it together.

This is a gift and my friend Anita reminded me of this yesterday. Not that I had forgotten this, but it was an even greater reminder to not take a single moment for granted.
So don't forget, let it be a reminder for you as well to "say what you need to say" to the ones you LOVE. LOVE it's all you NEED.

Girls Night Out and Babs

I want to share a story about the lady I met in Target and about celebrating long-lived, love- filled marriages.
My friend Marie suggested a while back that we throw our friend Joni a party for her 20 year anniversary and surprise her with lots of fun stuff for her and her man. She had the thought that it's such a shame we don't get showers for the years after our wedding day and how really those should be the times that should be celebrated. I would have to agree.
Joni was surprised. It was pulled off amazingly. Kudos to Marie, Natalie, Trista, Sue, and Lolita. We all dressed in 80's garb and had so much fun. SO much fun!!
That's all you are going to get out of me about that, ya know a lady never tells....
What I am really excited to blog about is the lady I met at Target, Babs who I bought my presents for Joni from. Today while in Target I was checking out with the goods for Joni when I got in conversation with the clerk Babs. She commented on the outfit I was buying and I then told her what it was for. She was so excited that someone was celebrating 20 years of marriage this way that she then proceeded to tell me about the fact that it was about 20 years in when her man started to come home with different kinds of outfits. I smiled and thought..... this is going to get interesting, and indeed it did.
"Yeah, 20 years is about the time that my husband started to bring home some really fun outfits" I said, "Really!!" She kept saying, "He was a really fun man" I then decided to ask how long she had been married to which she replied 46 years until he passed away. She told me about a day when she opened the door all dressed up for him and you could tell that it was just bringing joy to her heart to relive some of these fond memories. Good thing there was no one behind me. She then told me about some of the outfits, how much fun they were and how fun he was. She said that a lot " He was a fun man". I am thinking she had a good married life along with a good sex life. I went on to say that I bet the reason why she had such a long, happy marriage was because although he bought the outfits- she was willing to wear them.
What a fun spunky lady Babs is. If you see a Babs at the Big Target in Sparks just know she's a firecracker that one.
Here's To 20 years married Joni and Louie- WELL DONE!!
And here's to all marriages out there who are still trying to keep love alive!! KEEP ON KEEPING ON!!