In my continued work on creativity, I decided to get out of the city and find the peace that our amazing nature has to offer.
As you can see I was in good company with my two little dogs Oscar and Lizzie, who were not too interested in visiting with Big Erik.
Today it is Sunday, the beginning of January, and I believe that this is going to be the best year of my life! I am 68 years old and you would think that the best year of your life may have been when you were in the midst of the excitement of finishing your education, getting ready for that great career that seemed full of possibilities. You could still function well on 4-5 hours of sleep (at least for a few nights), your skin was smooth with a healthy complexion, all the clothes, size 36 was a perfect fit, thank you, and your feet accepted shoes from stiletto heals to heavy walking boots.
Ah, well, little did i know then in my 20s that life only keep getting better and more interesting. Little did I know that the awaiting hardships, losses, and heart aches, are what has provided my life with the rich tapestry of experiences that today contributes to the stable ground on which I stand.
My mother died from lung cancer when she was 68 years old. Two years earlier she had been treated for breast cancer. Later, when both her lungs became affected by cancer, her beautiful body was no longer able to hold the energy and the essence of my mother. Mother died in her sleep, in the hospital, where my sister and I were sitting on each side of the bed, holding her hands when she let go off that last long breath. There was a palpable and deep sensation of feeling her spirits leaving the body. Her soul, swiftly, in a moment making itself free. Free from the now empty body of my mother, lying still on the hospital bed.
The last year my mother lived, she used to say: This is the best year of my life. Every morning when she woke up, she gratefully met the dawn and with joy she greeted the trees and flowers on her nature walks close to her house. She knew, in her heart, that it truly was the best year of her life, and she lived her last year as though it was the best year. Thank you mother for giving me among so many things, also the incredible gift, of finding love and peace in nature.