As 2010 comes to an end...

Love that never dies

I took this photo in Galway, Ireland, last April, during some wonderful holidays I was able to take on my own.

The whole trip meant a lot to me, cause I'd always wanted to know that country and cause it kind of meant meeting mom in a different way. Mom taught me to speak English, and I was extremely happy to be in an English-speaking country.

As I was walking along the streets of Galway - which I found to be a lovely city - I experienced a great peace of mind, and could discover something that would help me deal with my mom's death in a better way. I was there in Ireland, on my own, seeing wonderful landscapes and thinking of the people I love, as I thought of "what my friends would be saying right now if they were here with me". And I felt they were there with me, though they were, in fact, quite faraway. So I thought: "if they're faraway and, still, they are here, then mom, who's also faraway, can also be here". And she was! And that's how I realized she'd never left. And never would she!

Maybe these are kind of rational thoughts, but I can tell you, this time, they come from the core of my soul. I feel lucky to have been able to deal with such difficult loss in so many different ways throughout these last years. What people say is true: it's just a matter of time... and it takes a great deal of "work" to walk along a tough and yet rewarding path, where there's plenty of time to cry, to suffer, to feel empty and, in the end, as if it happened magically, there comes peace. That's the sort of peace you feel when you're sure to have been doing the best thing, to have been trying hard to let pain go and to treat yourself the way you deserve to be treated: with love. This is the love that comes straight from your heart; love and pride have helped me make the most important decision ever: to enjoy life, to take things as they come, to be present, here and now.

And, after this awesome trip I've recently done to Ireland, I know that no matter where I go, no matter what I do and no matter who I'm with, the love of those you are and who are not here anymore will remain with me forever, a never-ending force to lighten my path, my thoughts, my heart and soul.

Peace and love :)