Alison

I have tried to write this post a couple of times now, but keep deleting what I have and then starting over and then wondering how/if I should go about saying what I want to say. In the end I feel like I cannot be true to this blog if I don’t write about this…it is all I can think about and has changed the person I am so much that to not write about it would almost be lying to you.

Recently one of our dear friends, Alison, passed away after a 5 month hard fought battle with cancer. She leaves behind a wonderful husband, a 10 month old son and many friends and family members. I won’t go into too much detail about everything because I want to respect her family and don’t feel like it is my place to just put stuff out there…however, I need to talk about how this has changed me. I need to ask for thoughtful prayers and positive thoughts and vibes for her family. I only had the privilege of knowing Alison for about three years so the real prayers and support go to her husband, family and friends that don’t know life without her until now.  I can’t speak for them, I can only speak for myself and so this is how she changed my life.

When someone passes away at a young age it is so devastating and heart breaking, there is really no other way to describe it. Alison, specifically, was literally the most kind and sweetest person I have ever met.  She had such a way about her that made everyone feel like her dear friend.  She cared so much about every single person she ever came across…not just pretended she cared, she actually cared. That is rare…and in her passing it has gotten me thinking.  Thinking about what I can do to continue her kindness…thinking about how she made others feel and how I want to make others feel that way too.

It sucks that sometimes the only way we are woken up to parts of life is thru loss…I guess that is just how life works. I want to be kinder because Alison showed how great that gift is.  I want to make people feel loved because she loved so deeply. I want to really listen to every lyric and note in every single song, because she loved music and found such joy and comfort in every part of it, and I used to be like that but life got in the way…her love for music has reminded me of my love for music.

I honestly know there is not one single thing I can say or tell myself or others that will make any of this seem to make sense.  We lost a dear, sweet person waaaaaay too early but I guess I find comfort in knowing that I can somehow take what she modeled in her life and move forward trying to spread a little bit of Alison on the daily.

I looked at her Pinterest after she passed away because I just had a feeling she  loved pinning quotes. I was right, and so I will leave you with several of her pinned quotes which simply shows the kind of person we will miss and the kind of person we can all strive to be a little bit more like.