Thoughts and Images of the Holiday

This month has been varied in every aspect for me. I have honored Joe by placing his ashes in the ground in the Peace Garden at my church. My minister, Dr. Rev. Michele shared this with me and said a blessing and prayer as this was done. It was an emotional and healing experience. His ashes are covered with earth and stones near the base of a tree right behind the peace sign. I plan to place a small angel near his ashes.
This month I also lit my menorah for the first time and on each of the eight days of Hanukkah, I lit a candle and honored and prayed for each of the eight members of my family. I believe all paths lead to the One God, the One Power and Source, and this is now a new part of my holiday. It was so great to focus each day on either Joe, Frankie, Heidi, Deidre, Trevor, Zachary, Isaac or Emma Ruth, and bless each of them for their own special day I created for them, and to then bless all my extended family and friends. I loved this focus and have decided to light a candle every day and focus in the same way.

This evening I have been invited to and am attending the Christmas party at the Villa on Sweetwater, where Joe lived for almost a year. This will be a difficult event for me to attend, but I know it is part of my process of healing. I have thought about visiting this home and could not bring myself to do it. But tonight I will and I believe it will be a good experience.

Last evening I spent several hours with Judy, who I have known since she was 6 years old and my daughter Deidre was 5 years old. Judy is now almost 44 years old. We spent hours talking and then having dinner together and it was a blessed and wonderful time that we both enjoyed so much. She has known me since I married Joe, and one of her 4 sisters did alterations for me on the dress I wore when Joe and I got married. Their family has been a part of my life for many years and this was a wonderful blessing to spend this time with her.
This has been a good holiday month for me.

The night before, on Thursday, I had dinner at Durant's on Central in Phoenix, with five friends from the cancer support group I was in for almost 2 years. None of our six who got together are now in this support group. and we are all cancer survivors and doing great. We bonded and had such a wonderful group, and it is a blessing we still see each other every month over dinner or lunch and do email with each other. I am thankful for these friends! They are all kind of like sisters to me.