Who's That Girl?

When my late husband passed, I was very clear that I wanted everyone to remember him at his best — and for all the beautiful traits he shared with the world.

The incredible athlete who excelled at literally any sport he played.
The hardworking provider.
The proud and devoted girl dad.
The man who loved animals and couldn’t even hurt a spider.

We all want to be remembered as good human beings, and I truly believe that most people deserve that. I don’t think anyone sets out to be a bad person in this life. Mistakes can be made along the way, but in the end, we all leave this planet — and we all deserve to have the good in us remembered.

This realization made me reflect on how I may one day be remembered by my loved ones.

Will it be for my love of music and concerts, my obsession with Madonna and everything pink?
For being the crazy dance mom who lives for watching her daughter light up the stage?
For my party planning?
Or perhaps for the words I share here on this blog — giving people a glimpse into the life of a widow relearning how to navigate the world, in hopes that someone out there might feel a little less alone.

Whatever it may be, I hope that in the end my family would be proud of who I am and who I was.
I hope they would know just how deeply they were loved by me.

Because ultimately, I believe that is the greatest peace we can leave behind — the certainty that our love was real, present, and spoken often.

It’s why I say “I love you” so frequently to my family and even to my friends.

Even in those moments when my teenage daughter and I butt heads, she still hears those words. Because I never want there to be a moment in her life where she questions whether she was loved.

So I’ll end this on a simple but powerful note:

Be gentle with your words.
Be pure with your heart.
And always — always — be a good human.

 xo LM