Love Month – Day 1

Today I went to the memorial service for my friend Christie Clark. Christie was a ballooning friend, who died unexpectedly and too soon. She leaves behind her son Cooper, just at the cusp of manhood. She adored him – it was obvious whenever you saw them together.

As I drove to South Carolina to the service, pictures of Christie kept passing through my mind. They were almost all pictures of laughter. A good way to remember your friends.

There was a good contingent of ballooning friends there, because it is a community that shows up for each other. We’ll be there for Cooper, whose life and support system changed overnight.

On this first day of Love Month, I love community – those people who show up when you need them. When that community is one of friends, it is extra-special.

Love is growing together, through good times and bad. It was comforting to be in the midst of community today – other people who wanted to remember the life of Christie, support Cooper and her ex-husband Roger, and hug each other – while we can.

Christie will remain part of our community, but I wish we could hug her again.

Invest in those things you love. I’m investing in community.

“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” – Coretta Scott King