Life

Well, I'm back. Last week was one of the craziest weeks we have had in a long time. We had some sort of event to attend almost everyday.

:: A hand print party with Blake's preschool buddies ( to make a gift for his teacher, more on that later).
:: An exciting play date with Benjamin.
:: A wonderful 4th of July Party with great food and company.
:: A surprise "We Love You" Party for Miss Olivia (Preschool teacher).
:: A Wedding " Alan's was the best Man".
&
:: A Memorial to celebrate the life of our Friend Mike Green.


I found myself more overwhelmed than I have been in a long time, hence, my inability to blog. After many days of reflection, I realized that it was just to hard to blog about my beautiful little life, while my good friend Susie had just lost her husband/soul mate/father of her children to a nine month battle with a brain tumor. I tried many times to write about this...but felt I just could never do Mike or Susie justice. I did come to the conclusion that I could not write another post until I told you about Mike and Susie..and their life together.

I started this blog to record the lovely things in my life so I could not only share it with my friends and family, but so I could look back in years to come and remember. After thinking alot about death, and loss these past few weeks, it finally occurred to me that I could write about something beautiful. Mike's Memorial....

In order to do that, I need to tell you a little about Mike and Susie.

We meet them through a good friend when we moved to San Diego from Michigan 9 years ago. Mike was a fellow Michigander, and Susie had visited the State quite a bit, so we felt at home with them. They were probably our first set of friends that we made in this town. We were grateful for the way they took us in. We joked quite a bit about Michigan, as we do with most Michiganders we meet here. Mike was one of the funniest guys we have met, he did the "Best" imitation of Austin Powers...I think he literally channeled Mike Meyers. He also had a set of Billy Bob teeth that he would randomly break out to crack us all up. Susie, was equally hilarious, and together they were so fun to be around. Over the years they had 2 boys, Beau 7, who is so much like Mike in many ways, and Nik 2, whom they adopted from Russia. We have not spent as much time together as we did in the first few years of moving to San Diego, but have see each other for Birthday Party's, Weddings, etc.

Here is a picture of Mike and Susie at our wedding 5 years ago. Mike is in the Middle, our friend Mark is on the Right



Not sure what was going on in this picture...looks like an old fashion nuggie, but that was Mike and Susie...
always yucking it up !




Susie and I have seen each other more in these past years...doing girls night outs..talks on the phone. One thing that was always evident was the great marriage and partnership that they both had with each other. Mike had a successful painting business. When we bought our house 3 years ago, we wanted to do the painting ourselves to save money, and Mike was so kind to lend us his painting supplies and his business discount at the local Home Depot. He was just that kind of guy, solid, nice, really one of the best! On top of that, he was one of the best father's a child could have.

When the family sent out the invitation to Mike's Memorial, there were specific instructions to wear bright colors, no black, and to come for a celebration, not to cry. They had a cermony outside, at Marina Village, the place where Susie and Mike were married. It was a celebration..there was humor, there were tears, but there was alot of joy for people who were thankful to have had Mike in their lives.

Susie, for one has been so strong through what she has been through, and her family and friends have been so supportive. Just the fact that she could get up and talk about Mike in front of everyone, and still have a sense of humor, was truly amazing. She is one incredible Woman. There was also a great slide show, and video tribute to Mike, they even played the theme to Austin Powers at one point. It was if he was right there talking to everyone. And of course there was a toast to his life.....


It was one of the most beautiful events I have ever attended..and yet the most overwhelming. I still cannot put my thoughts and feelings into words at this point, I don't think I ever will be able to...and I don't think I will ever understand death, especially when it happens to someone in the prime of their life...

What I can do is leave you with this...the Lyrics from a "The The" song.
It was written by Matt Johnson, after the death of his brother.
It's from the Soul Mining Album.

Love is Stronger than Death

Love love love
Love love love

Me & my friend were walking
In the cold light of mourning.
Tears may blind the eyes but the soul is not deceived
In this world even winter aint what it seems.

Here come the blue skies here comes springtime.
When the rivers run high & the tears run dry.
When everything that dies.
Shall rise.

Love love love is stronger than death.
Love love love is stronger than death.

In our lives we hunger for those we cannot touch.
All the thoughts unuttered & all the feelings unexpressed
Play upon our hearts like the mist upon our breath.
But, awoken by grief, our spirits speak
How could you believe that the life within the seed
That grew arms that reached
And a heart that beat.
And lips that smiled
And eyes that cried.
Could ever die?

Here come the blue skies here comes springtime.
When the rivers run high & the tears run dry.
When everything that dies.
Shall rise.

Love love love is stronger than death.
Love love love is stronger than death.

Shall rise. shall rise.
Shall rise. shall rise.


Thanks for reading...