It has been a strange week for me.
I feel a little like a butterfly...in the most natural sense. The emotional metamorphosis of this past week has been, at times, radical and quiet at the same time.
The loss of a friend is an amazingly disturbing event. I have never attended a funeral of someone not family and I was surprised by the depth and intensity of the emotion. Though thinking about it in retrospect, I shouldn't be shocked, friends are the family you choose. No matter how close or distant the friendship may become, that voluntary tie binds fast.
Spending time with my brother and sisters, blood and not, was very soothing. The affirmation of relationships and experiences was a healing balm during a rough time. It's amazing to realize that the people who share your life stories have shaped you as a person. Sometimes you get to tell them, and sometimes you don't, but the important thing is learning whatever they were supposed to teach you.
I have been spoiled by an abundance of remarkable people. From the one taken far too soon ( who lived so fully that I'm not sure I can fill my remaining years with an equal amount of experiences), to one who embodies the idea of faithful at a surprisingly young age. I have been taught to stretch my idea of the world, be flexible in my treatment of others, be loving without judgment, and have patience with my own life. It is important to appreciate the arts, learn new things, fight for important things, and to identify family differently.
My family is the most fulfilling possesion I have - and it changes me (sometimes unknowingly) on a daily basis. My blood relatives taught me respect, joy, faith, and stability. My "family of choice" taught me to be vibrant, fulfilled, steadfast, carefull, patient and attentive. I am a conglomeration of family input, and all I can do is live out their grace, love, faith, and energy in a positive and energetic way.
