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Family, Friends...and a Whole Lotta Love

While full of stressful moments, and a heartbreaking tragedy out of Orlando, somehow this weekend was still able to provide me with a few beautiful memories I wanted to share.

On Saturday we celebrated the wedding of two close college friends at a gorgeous country club in West Des Moines.  It was excruciatingly hot outside, but the ceremony, reception and food were phenomenal so it didn't matter!  I admit that portion control was NOT being followed by me...but hey, dietitians can enjoy a slice (or two!) of cake, every now and then :). Also, the beautiful centerpiece at our table kept grabbing my attention so I had to snap a quick photo.


On Sunday the festivities continued as our son, Elijah, was baptized surrounded by friends and family.  I fought back tears as I watched my baby boy receive this church sacrament - who knew I'd be so emotional!!  In his usual style, Eli made the entire church giggle (more than a few times), which calmed both mom and dad who were nervous being center of attention.


Unfortunately, dad had to return to work after the baptism/church service so Eli and I spent a few hours together at Columbus Park in DSM.  If you've never been, it's pretty small, but has what they call a "sprayground" which I thought was perfect for the 90+ degree weather.   To my surprise, Eli did NOT enjoy sitting or splashing in the cold water, so our first park experience was cut short to a mere 45 minutes.  I think him being "hangry" also had a major part in his fussiness ;)  Outside of the water, he (as always) enjoyed being partly nude and posing for mom.
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Regarding the shooting in Orlando, there really isn't anything I can say that hasn't already been shared or posted on other social media sites.  It's heartbreaking, it's devastating, it's sickening....but as we as a country move forward, I think Stephen Colbert responded best:

"Well I don’t know what to do…but I do know that despair is a victory for hate.
[but] LOVE does not despair.  LOVE makes us strong.
LOVE gives us the courage to act.  LOVE gives us hope that change is possible
So love your country, love your family….but let’s remember that love is a verb. And “to love” means to do something…"

I don't have all the answers to our world's problems, but I can tell you our society seems to fall short on one seemingly easy solution:  to LOVE or RESPECT one another.  'Love thy neighbor'; it's something myself and many others grew up learning, yet it seems to be missing in certain situations.
For example, in yoga it is common to say and gesture 'Namaste' at the end of practice, which translates to "I bow to you."  In the studio I trained in, prior to ending class & along with Namaste, many teachers use the phrase "The ____ in me....honors/respects (or other adoration term) the _____ in each and every one of you."  The blanks can be filled in with numerous descriptions - light, love, student, teacher, dreamer - etc.  I really grasped on to this concept and because of it, I received my first tattoo after completing yoga teacher training in 2014.  I had the artist inscribe 'Namaste' on my wrist so I could see and be reminded everyday to not only love others, but to also love myself.
Now of course a tattoo doesn't solve global problems, nor am I an expert at showing love in difficult situations.  It's hard to be the bigger person, and usually much easier to get angry, complain or find the differences in someone rather than our similarities.  But it is true a change in heart can make a huge impact on how we see (and react) to events affecting our lives.  If people showed more love, positivity, appreciation; and less tolerance for bullying, hate, violence....our world would be a much different place.
As impossible as it seems, no matter how much negativity encompasses our lives or in the news, when you look closely you will see love surrounds us.  Whether it's two friends vowing to share their lives together, loved ones gathering in celebration, or the countless other moments we cherish in our lifetimes, LOVE truly conquers all.  
As I finish my reflection on the weekend, I am so thankful I got to spend it with such a great group of people; that we all get to see another day and we all have another chance to make our mark on this earth.  Colbert is right:  "to love" is a verb; change is possible...
...Do something good today...

Namaste, friends.








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