Blog 679 – 06.30.2017
Life Lived In Circles

Tomorrow I begin another month of Emily, in tribute to my daughter who came to us and both left us in the month of July. She had just marked the thirty-second anniversary of her arrival on the fifteenth of July 2012 and just five days later she departed. A couple of years after her passing I wrote a book about her called The Little Girl Who Sang Her Song To Anyone Who Came Along after the Nora Jones song “Seven.” Emily loved the song and it fit her to a tee. Each day in July or The Month Of Emily as I like to call it, it has become a tradition with me to post an episode or chapter from her book. I want all the world to come to know and love my Emily as all those of us who knew her did and do.

Life is a series of circles which can seems like the seven levels or circles of hell or a marvelous merry-go-round depending largely upon our attitude. Our Emily had a bright and beautiful attitude. In fact the song lyric, “All things bright an beautiful” could as well describe her thirty-two years. She had such a knack for turning whatever came to her into a lovely song. In Emily’s story I share some links where anyone wanting to can hear and see my baby girl sing a few of the songs she wrote and composed herself. When you hear that voice you will I think hear the music that has played in my heart since I first knew she was coming. I never knew then that her visit would be cut so short. It still amazes me how much real living and loving she got done in those few years she was with us. I have already had more than twice as long and still feel I have so much more loving and living to do to come even close to Emily’s achievements in those two areas.

Lives are not really judged, if they are judged at all, like that. I think the best we can hope for is to widen our circle to contain more things and people to love and appreciate. There may indeed, as the Lion King’s Circle Of Life song says, be way too much to take in here, more to do than can ever be done. But, by God, Emily tried and the rest of us should try to do as well.

So if they draw a circle that tries to leave me out, my heart will draw such a bigger and bigger  circle and all who meet me will know what loving is really all about. That is what my daughter probably more than anyone I ever knew not only tried to do but did such a wonderful job at. Like a stone dropped in the ocean the circles of her influence still continue to expand. So tomorrow I welcome all who come to this place to read, to yet another wonderful month of Emily.

Your friend and fellow traveler,
David White