"I saw the sign"...again!

Two days ago was Friday June 24, 2016.  It was the 25th anniversary of my father's death. Over the years, I've stayed connected with my dad.  He has made his presence quite clear to me in the form of rain (I'll share our wedding story in another blog.  LOL!) ...and at other times (to quote my favorite band, Duran Duran) when he would "...hold back the rain!"

​On this anniversary weekend, my dad did not disappoint.  We were at our friends' outdoor wedding in Door County, and the weather was starting to look a bit iffy.  I looked up to the sky and said, " Daddy, can you help us out?"  I kid you not, the sky cleared up and the sunny started shining.  It was a picture perfect wedding!  Thanks Daddy!  ;-)

Yesterday afternoon, my Facebook feed reminded me of a previous blog post.  I reread it, and it made me smile.  I wanted to share it again with you in case you missed it the first time around.  Enjoy!

"Hello Friends! It’s June 22nd. A bit of time has passed since my last post on April 1st.  I’ve been taking yoga classes here and there, but not as consistent as I originally hoped.  No worries.  Yoga at times for me is like that dear friend we all have.  We may not talk every day, but when we do reach out and call each other, we pick up exactly where we left off last.  We click and our amazing friendship continues without missing a beat.

Today I was blessed to attend an outdoor yoga class on Maple St. Beach in Winnetka.  The free community class was a gift from Lululemon Northbrook Court, taught by four of their most awesome ambassadors. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you Lululemon NBC!!! I LOVED IT!!!  This class was exactly what I needed today.

A little back story…My father passed away 22 years ago, almost to the day.  I miss my dad every day.  Even though our time together was short, he loved me dearly and taught me so much.  His passing shaped so much of my life too.  Most importantly, I got into healthy eating and fitness because I want to make sure I live a long and healthy life, see my kids gets married, and meet my grandchildren.

More back story, six years ago my friend and I hiked the Lares Trek in Peru to Machu Picchu.  It was an incredible hike.  On the first day, it looked like it was about to rain hard. We knew it wouldn’t be fun to hike in the rain.  I looked up to the sky and asked my dad to guide us and protect us.  I kid you not, we hiked 10 hours and not a drop of rain hit us.  However, 10 seconds after we made it to camp, the sky opened up and it poured cats and dogs. I knew my dad was watching out for us and protecting us the whole way.

Ok, back to the beach today. As we were in pigeon pose, a great hip opening pose, our instructor Jenny commented to the group that the hip area holds “the tissues with the issues.”  Yes, lots of people hold stress, emotional or physical in their hips.  Funny, as soon as she mentioned that, I thought of my dad. Oh, how I still miss him.  In that moment, I felt a little release (yes, a tear or two rolled down my cheek), and I thought, “Daddy, give me a sign. 
Show me that you’re still with me. I miss you so much.  I just want to know you’re still here.”  I
put this intention out to the universe. I love the immediate response he gave to me.

Just like the on-the-verge rainy day back in Peru, it was so on the verge of raining for today’s outdoor beach yoga class.  It rained before class, and it started to sprinkle immediately after our class ended. However, it did not rain during our class.  Years later, my dad is still there guiding and protecting me.  I know he is always with me.

I am so grateful to yoga and especially to Lululemon NBC for helping me connect with my dad TODAY of all days.  The loss of a loved one is a deep wound that never fully heals.  It leaves a scar. However, I love that I can look at my scar and remember all of the love my dad has for me.  I remember all the nights he rocked me to sleep.  I remember how he taught me to be a project manager and break down big projects into smaller tasks, so I could get the job done. He empowered me to achieve any goal and gave me the confidence to do it.  He taught me if something isn’t working out that you can take actions to improve yourself and fix it, never seeing quitting as an option. He’s taught me to live, laugh, and love and to take good care of myself, so I’ll be there for my children and grandchildren.  And even today, he taught me that a real love lasts a lifetime.  It extends beyond space and time. All I have to do is call for him, he’ll be there.  To quote Ace of Base, “I saw The Sign and it opened up my eyes, I saw the sign!”

Jenny also asked us to set an intention on the mat today.  I recommitted to taking 1 yoga class each week for the rest of the year.  I’m committing to it again.  I may not write about it each week, but I know when I do, I’ll have something good to share.

Let’s Dooley this!!!

With love and gratitude,
Dooley

​Back to June 26, 2016...After reading my blog post, I realized that it's time once again to add yoga back into my life.  I am again recommitting to taking 1 yoga class each week for the rest of the year.  I'll make a point to write about it again.  I have a feeling it's going to be just what I need right now, and I can't wait!!!