That’s it! The 90 Days of Awesome are complete! How did I spend my last day of this adventure? Gearing up for the next one!
Photo by Joseph Abbruscato, used with permission
September means cooler weather and fall conferences for me. I’m hitting the road next week to attend and speak at Content Marketing World in Cleveland. I spent a good chunk of time today verifying my flight and hostel reservations, emailing my co-panelist, and making plans to see some of my awesome legal eagle friends in Cleveland – including David Mills – one of my Sponsor A Law Kid sponsors that I’ve never met in person
Looking through my posts from the last 92 days, I noticed that the best days were the ones I got to spend with friends. More and more I realize that it’s the relationships that matter in my life, not what I do or where I go – but with who I share the adventure.
So what’s next? I’ll go back to writing posts 1-2 times per week on this site. I have at least 3 trips planned for the fall and I’m working on a fourth. And September is my birthday month so I’ll have to figure out some shenanigans to commemorate my 36th trip around the sun.
Thank you all for joining me for the 90 Days of Awesome. I hope you enjoyed the journey as much as I did.
Gorgeous Photo of Me by Devon Christopher Adams from earlier this summer.
My life tends to oscillate between two speeds: full-speed ahead and crash-and-burn. Moderation is a foreign concept for the most part without deliberate thought and diligence. I was up at 5am and literally hit the ground running today, which got me on a roll of activity:
Ran 4.2 miles – it feels good to see myself building up endurance.
Made Terry’s lentil soup – love this recipe! I use extra broth instead of wine.
Boiled chicken for Rosie – yes, she gets chopped chicken with every meal. She’s spoiled.
Planted broccoli, cucumbers, and greens beans on the patio – peas and parsley will be planted later this season.
By 2:30, I was exhausted and felt a massive headache coming on despite being conscientious about drinking water throughout the day. From warp speed to full stop – I popped two acetaminophen, threw The Perks of Being a Wallflower into the DVD player for background noise, and collapsed onto the couch for a nap and woke up about 90 minutes later. After I woke up, I still had a few items to crank through on my to-do list, mostly house chores that didn’t require too much mental capacity. Thank goodness for that because my body woke up significantly earlier than my brain.
Practicing moderation is part of my recovery, but until I get better at that, I’ll have to keep doing the up-and-down lifestyle. Thankfully, my life has the flexibility to allow me to take naps when I need them most days.
Day 90 of the 90 Days of Awesome is in the bank! What made today awesome? We celebrated the life of Atticus VanSlyke as a community.
Photo by Amy Donohue
Literally hundreds of people followed this family’s journey as their little son Atticus battled cancer. He battled it while spreading joy and love everywhere he went. I loved seeing the photos of Atticus walking the halls late at night and looking up at the light displays in the lobby with wide eyes and his jaw dropped with wonder. Our collective hearts broke when we learned the news that Atticus passed away.
We came together as a community to support this family and remember Atticus. The church was packed with all walks of life from people in suits to people wearing jeans and “Team Atticus†t-shirts. I wore a yellow cardigan and my dress with the pleated skirt that makes me want to twirl. (I may have twirled a few times when I put it on that day.) It seemed appropriate.
The service was beautiful. It was filled with images of Atticus from his too-short life and some of the most gorgeous music I’ve ever heard – especially the performance of Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone). Krys and Melissa planned to sing this song when Atticus was cancer-free, but they played it here because their son was free from the chains of cancer in a different way. I’d never heard this variation of Amazing Grace before, and even though I’m not a religious person, I bought the song on iTunes when I got home. Listening to it still makes me cry.
Atticus’ Balloon Release
Krys and Melissa both spoke at Atticus’ memorial. I don’t know how they did that, but they each spoke from the heart and with such openness and love for Atticus and their family, sharing stories that few people know. I was in awe of their grace and how openly they shared what was in their hearts while the rest of us soaked tissues and handkerchiefs with tears.
The service ended with a balloon release. (Yes, I know we engaged in communal littering and it’s bad for the environment, but shut up – it’s what this family wanted.) I hope it helped give them a sense of peace and the feeling that they are still connected with their son and brother.
I hope the VanSlykes know that they are surrounded by love. Even though the rest of us will get on with our lives while they are deep in their grieving process, we will be there in a moment’s notice if they need us. And as time passes on and they re-experience their grief as they celebrate holidays and milestones knowing that Atticus is missing, I hope they know that we’ll be thinking loving thoughts for them.
