A dear friend of mine just lost her second round battling cancer on March 27th. More than that, however, our world lost the presence of one of the most positive, encouraging spirits I have ever met.
In all her roles, Amy led fitness classes, but I met her when our children were attending Elementary school. She had a fierce, powerful presence that was a bit intimidating when I first saw her, but when I made a comment and we started our first conversation, I immediately knew that she was an amazing being that I simply HAD to have in my life.
Moving school districts, I was not able to see Amy frequently, but social media kept us in touch. We never "got together" nearly enough, yet, the times I was able to spend with her - even if they were moments - were always inspiring. My heart is aching that I will not be able to share any more time on this planet with her, and I am unbelievably sad that I cannot be in Illinois to say a farewell to her and offer any support to her family.
The fact that there are billions of us roaming around this planet and that I am so blessed to know so many incredible individuals truly blows my mind sometimes. My dad asked me on the phone last night if I miss Illinois... I miss the people. I miss the community. I miss seeing so many lovable faces and having so many fantastic talks.
But it also makes me feel lucky. There is a bit of every friendship that I carry with me, that makes me the unique person that I am and continue to aspire to be. I only wish we had more time to spend together - and time is not guaranteed to any of us. It feels cliche to echo the "make the most of today, it could be your last" comments that most people voice after losing someone they love. But it is true - death reminds us that we are still alive. Most of us get into sort of a panic that we need to spend every possible moment while we are here making our lives grand and doing what we can to make the lives of others even better than that!
Sadness fades as people ease back into routines. I do, however, feel it's a little different for me right now, being 1,000 miles from so many people that have my heart. I hope it makes me different anyway. I want it to change me and help me appreciate every day a bit more.
Amy's spirit is one of the encouragements I had when I finally decided to go for it and obtain certification as a dance fitness instructor this year. There will always be a piece of her inspiration with me when I share my SHiNE classes. It will help me have courage to keep doing things out of my comfort zone, and her compassion will show through me as I encourage others. Life can go on... just in a different form.
May the Force be with you, Amy. You will always be a true hero.
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