Do you ever find yourself in a moment of reflection thinking “wow…this is a God moment.”? I felt this way for an entire weekend, as it was filled with God moments that made me think a lot about life, the things we cherish and hold dear, and how this thing we call “life” can have so many different meanings, impacts, and shapes/forms. Saturday was a “virtual” celebration of life ceremony for a friend that had a full term healthy pregnancy with a beautiful baby girl named Naomi, who ended up being still born (Sara has so eloquently and bravely shared her experience, emotions, and faith on her blog Feels Like Home…ramblings from a mom and wife). Sunday morning, my kids, some dear friends, and I took part in Scheel’s Run for Ryan, a 5k/10k race with all proceeds going to fund SIDS research, started in honor of a beautiful baby boy named Ryan who lost his life to SIDS. This race holds a special place in my heart, as Ryan’s mom has been (and still is) such an amazing influence on my life. Ryan and my daughter Brooklyn are the same age, just living in different places now. Sunday afternoon, I found myself hosting a baby shower for one of my most special cousins to celebrate the up and coming birth of her baby boy (a baby that her late brothers, Nels and Austin, would be so proud to meet). It was a joyous occasion, with everyone in attendance sharing their love and excitement for this new life that is soon to enter the world here on Earth.
What are the chances that in one weekend I would have to reflect upon so many emotions and thoughts? Well, I don’t really believe that they are “chances.” Instead, they are more like “God moments.” Events and moments are brought into our lives to teach us, to force us to think about things that are not always “happy” and “perfect.” Loss and life can take on many forms and teach us many things. The precious lives of Naomi and Ryan here on Earth were cut way too short, for reasons we may never understand. However, they do live on. They live on in the memories we have, the memories we share, the events that honor them, and the legacy they have left. Their lives just take on a different meaning, shape and form now. They will SHINE ON, just like we are ALL meant to SHINE ON. We are reminded through events like baby showers and birth of new life on Earth that there is hope and bright light to be found in various places; that new life starts everyday; that it is never too late to truly start living and loving.
This weekend, loss and life came full circle for me. I felt honored to take part in three events that celebrated life in its various shapes and forms. I cannot begin to understand what it might feel like to lose a child. However, when I look into the eyes of my children, I feel so much love in my heart it brings tears my eyes. That is a feeling that I know won’t ever go away, and I know it won’t ever go away for Naomi and Ryan’s mommies, because they have so much love for their children and ALWAYS will. I’ve found that it is important to hold what is dear to you in your heart, have faith even when you don’t understand, and treasure your life and others around you. Don’t waste the unknown time that you have with this life-form that you have been given. Embrace the “God moments,” even if they are hard.
With love,
Callee Peebles
“body.mind.soul” Root Strength Fitness