She said loss was just love with no place to go and I sat there stunned. I was so surprised. She was one of the happiest people I knew. She was always going, always giving, always ON and she was always extra on holidays. She decorated every inch of her office with thoughtful details and enthusiasm she shouldn’t have felt. I had watched her passion for life, friends and her job, enviously and wondered how she had the energy.
That particular day, I had decided I needed a break and walked over to her office for a visit. Valentines was coming up and she had cookies. I was enjoying our chat and admiring the vintage pink and red floral details, when I finally asked her how she always had the energy. I wasn’t expecting her answer to involve such tremendous loss.
She told me she lost her only child when he was 23 to a tragic accident. After he was gone she learned loss was just love with no place to go, so whenever she felt sad and missed him, she took that love she had for him and gave it to someone else in his honor. She didn’t have a family anymore, so this was how it came out. I’ve considered her words frequently since then. They breathed new life into the meaning of love, for me. This Monday I’m having a few guests and as an ode to her and the season, I put a little extra love on the table.
Beautiful Valentine table.