Birthday Blues

I woke up melancholy today.

I felt on the verge of tears all morning and wasn't sure why.

Something felt missing; it was a longing - I was yearning for a connection, and the ache was deep.

When I returned home from walking the dog, I checked my phone and saw the date; April 24. My Aunt Jill’s birthday. Immediately, my tears were uncorked and the feelings all made sense. It happens almost every year, an overwhelming feeling of loss on this day - thirty-two years after her death, and I still miss her.

Someone asked me recently if I was writing a book because my aunt wrote one. No, but she certainly had an impact on how I view life and deal with my health challenges. At a young age, by example, she taught me the power of perspective. Especially as she battled cancer.

If you are listening, Aunt Jill, I ate a bunch of birthday chocolate for you today (the good stuff!) and thought about how lucky I am to have had someone in my life that I loved enough to still miss so much.