This Thing Called Life ...

Originally Published as a Blog August 31, 2020

This was my very first blog post from August 2019. I never posted it as a blog because I wasn't feeling bold enough at the time. Today, I am bolder, and with everything that's going on in our world right now, this BLOG post seems deserving of a repeat. So ... here it is.

This thing called LIFE ... What is it really?

These past weeks have been full, and my heart has been both heavy and light, all at the same time. Do you ever feel that way?

LIFE does this for us ... When we get out of our heads, and into our hearts ... when we let ourselves simply feel our experiences. Yes, feel our experiences rather than analyzing, justifying, minimizing, or explaining.

LIFE does this for us when we simply soak in the richness of human emotion that our experiences create for us. Whether those emotions are happiness and joy, anger and rage, heartache and pain, or grief and sadness.

In these past few weeks, we have lost a couple of dear dear souls. We have witnessed the loss of mothers, aunts, and pets too. And we have witnessed the power of emotion, of shared sorrow, of coming together. We have witnessed the positive power of humanity, the power of love.

LIFE does this for us; when we are willing to be vulnerable and allow ourselves to get out of our heads, and into our hearts. This is when we experience the full impact of the power of humanity and the power of love.

I love being in my heart. How bout you? Here there is no judgment, no criticism, not for myself or others. Here is where we can taste the richness of our common connection with each other. My pain is not your pain, my love is not your love, my experiences are not your experiences ... and still, we are all the same. I believe this to be true.

This past week we drove to Calgary to say goodbye and celebrate a very special lady - Paul's aunt - an aunt who was more of a mom, than anything else. Equally important, was the opportunity to reconnect with cousins - family Paul hadn't seen in years.

It wasn't the easiest of trips for Paul; breathing was a challenge, and in fact, we shortened our trip some so that he could get back to the comfort of home.

I will never forget the joy in my heart watching Paul and his cousins reunite. 3 grown men, hugging, crying, and physically sobbing as they all 3 embraced each other. Tears of sadness, tears of joy, all wrapped up together. At that moment, as I watched these men allow their emotions to flow I was deeply reminded that THAT - right there is what this LIFE is all about.

LIFE does this for us.

There were fabulous memories shared; updates on life, children, and families laughed about; continuous gratitude, embraces, smiles, and tears expressed. Regained connection, hope, and love. The loss of an amazing woman brought it all together, and yet there was such joy and happiness there.

This amazing woman knew exactly what mattered in life, and she modeled a life of living from her heart, and not her head. This was her brilliance! The ability to live a life where all opportunities for joy, fun, and laughter were never overshadowed by the darkness life sometimes gives us. Yet, she had experienced darkness, and life didn't go to plan for her. Yet she had this magical ability to always "see" others and open her heart to them while bringing them into her joy and fabulousness. That was her gift to all she touched. Beauty is skin deep. Fabulousness lasts forever!

LIFE does this for us. If we let it.

I am now more inspired to live from my heart; to grasp the silly and the weird and wonderful; to step into boldness; to more deeply share in all the greatness of this LIFE, the light, and the dark. By doing so, and continuing to strive to do so, the dark will never last too long, and the brilliance will always shine bright. From here our human connection will become stronger and the ties that bind will be heart ties ... not burdens.

It's a choice, and we know this. LIFE does this. It gives us choice.

I choose to acknowledge the dark and feel the anger, rage, grief, and sadness that will appear in my life. And I will be proud knowing that whatever heart pain I feel it is in exact measure to the love I have also felt. When you are feeling weak, I will be strong; and when I am feeling weak, I will lean into you. Sometimes we will even lean together and share in our pain. Because we are different, yet all the same.

I want to be vulnerable and carry an open heart, and I want to feel all that comes from human connection. All of it. How about you?

We have a choice.

LIFE does this for us.

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About the author:

Karen Hendrickson is an Elevation Coach, focused on helping others to rewrite their life story, befriend their mortality, and find the richness and magic that lives at the intersection of our lives where life and death meet. When we allow our authentic self permission to shine our life becomes full of MAGIC and GREATNESS.  Contact karenttjourney@gmail.com and start working with her today!