"Unlikely adventures require unlikely tools..."

"All stories, even the ones we love, must eventually come to an end and when they do, it's only an opportunity for another story to begin." -Eric Applebaum
One of my favorite movie's of all time is "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium." The colors are so vivid, the toys touch flecks of my childhood which still reside in my heart. The wisdom is profound! One of the most touching, a-ha moment comes when Mr. Magorium is about to pass away. Completely content with the knowledge of his own imminent passing, we find him consoling Molly Mahoney, who cannot fathom letting him go. His statement resonates deep within my soul each time I hear him, "When King Lear dies in Act Five do you know what William Shakespeare has written? He’s written, He Dies. That's all, nothing more. No fan fare, no metaphor, no brilliant final words. The culmination of the most influential work of the dramatic literature is, He Dies. It takes Shakespeare’s genius to come up with, he dies. And yet every time I read those two words I find myself overwhelmed with dysphoria. And I know its only natural to be sad, but not because of the words he dies, but because of the life we saw prior to the words. I’ve lived all five of my acts Mahoney and I am not asking you to be happy that I must go. I’m only asking that you turn the page. Continue reading. And let the next story begin. And if anyone ever asks what became of me you relay my life in all its wonder, and end it with a simple, and modest, he died."


Two broken hearts are on my mind. These sweetly amazing women are each coping with life-changing loss at this time. One has said goodbye to her life as she knew it, having to strike out on her own for the first time in many years. The other is preparing to say goodbye to her best friend, her twin sister. My heart is full of empathy & my eyes are to-the-brim with emotion. We have been taught that being a Christ-like, Zion people requires that we bear one another's burdens; that we offer respite by lightening the heavy pack of grief or by bracing each other against the downward momentum of sadness....My thoughts are turned to the times I've stood in these women's shoes. Often I felt hollow, empty, & alone. Yet, I never really was alone. I was surrounded by many who silently added a modest hand to the lifting of my burden. From this, I know that we fulfill our roles most efficiently & increase our capacity to be instruments in God's hands when we reach out, and trust Him to direct us. He often answers prayers & fulfills needs through our actions, so let's turn them over to Him. We've got to be there for one another, as unlikely of a tool we may feel we are or not....we've got to be ready to help blot the tears, able to steady the frail hold of the page, and stand equal to the task when the decision to finally turn the page & continue reading! ....please, be there this week.