The Circle of Life

From the day we arrive on the planet ... and blinking, step into the sun

Though despair and hope

Through faith and love

Till we find our place

On the path unwinding ...

The end of February and beginning of March kept me humming these powerful words from a little animation feature you might know, The Lion King. As I grieve the loss of my godfather, I celebrate the new life of Master William Porterfield with a quick & cozy trip to St. Louis and my own existence with a girls' trip to Nashville for my 30th birthday. In a much smaller way, I grieve another loss: that of stillborn twins to my beloved giraffe pal Kivuli who resides at the Detroit Zoo. In such weeks, the circle of life manifests itself in beautiful ways, though painful at times.

Long Beach in Winter

The next generation of Clancys:
Liam, Maya, and Charlotte

Gramma and her BFF, Mary, of 70+ years

We honored my grandfather with one last trip to the North Shore of Massachusetts for his burial. He and my gramma grew up in Beverly and each summer, after they moved to Michigan, still vacationed in nearby Rockport. Long Beach holds happy, happy memories for the Clancy clan and a trip to celebrate his life necessitated a beach visit. My parents and I walked on a cold day along the boardwalk, reminiscing about the vacations which started when my dad was small and continued through my college years. We laughed about our family rule "no day without ducking" (this is not a favorite rule of mine), Papa Da in the late years tooling down the boardwalk in his scooter, and the piles of books all over the cottage we devoured. Life on Long Beach was good. Time with the extended family after the beach visit felt appropriate to honor him as well. He would've loved the loud laughter, crowded family room so everyone could be in on the action, and the toddlers soaking up our attention. Taps played to send us from the family plot after the deacon used water and ship imagery to share his thoughts on life -- appropriate for a Navy man and beach lover. Family and friends gathered in Michigan and Beverly to express condolences, share memories, and simply be present, a gift in sad times.

Sweet Christy dubbed this little giraffe
"Sarah". I'm touched.

Ole William and his fan club clock
a lot of time on the exercise ball.
Happy to do my part!

I'd already waited almost two months to cuddle with Master William and despite the unexpected travels East, I hopped a plane to St. Louis to spend my few days a year with the Porterfields. My mom and I laughed about the difference in packing for a visit with a friend and her new baby versus a visit with other girlfriends. In other words, I packed lounging clothes, my slippers, and some socks. Since I never stepped foot into the outdoors, these served my purposes which included eating homemade soup, drinking copious amounts of coffee (when it was 5pm somewhere, we switched to our beloved Cab), and bouncing William on the exercise ball. My abs got a workout but that was about it. (Oh, yoga, I promise I'll return to you someday!) I delighted in his chubby cheeks, bath time, and seeing my dear friends joyfully embrace parenthood like naturals. When I put my boots on for the first time in three days, I felt a twinge of sadness to say goodbye but also this surge of great excitement to know this tiny little person would be a part of my life, and I'd get to see him grow and change and discover this world.
PS. It should be noted that Crist & I took NO pictures together .. a first in our years of friendship. We had a different subject as our focal point.

Kivuli in early January

Halfway through my travels, I read online Kivuli lost her twins. I was sad. Like, really sad. Once they announced her pregnancy in January, I visited her about once a week to check on her progress. If you know the Detroit Zoo, you understand that on cold, winter days, the giraffes seem really.far.away. and still I trudged to their house to watch as she paced and nested in the soft wood chips while her baby daddy Jabari checked on her anxiously over the separation. I too waited anxiously for the news of this baby's birth, and to learn of not one but both of their deaths broke my heart a little. And while I knew we were mourning my incredible grandfather, I also allowed myself to mourn a little for this mother who waited with great anticipation to meet her baby (the twins were a surprise to everyone -- though maybe not to her) and the sadness which goes along with a loss. The circle of life sometimes sucks.

Why WOULDN'T George FaceTime me?
It's my 30th! 

And sometimes the gift of a birthday really puts life into perspective. My birthday is the best day of my year and I try to make it the best in others too. This time for the 30th one, my friends really went all out. with a weekend girls' trip to Nashville. Kate & Steph planned a weekend which allowed us to eat, drink, and be merry in very Sarah-appropriate ways. I loved every second of the girl time, visits to Arrington Vineyard, Gigi's Cupcakes, The Bluebird Cafe, Sips and Strokes, Big Bang Dueling Pianos and Second Fiddle, and lounging in our beautiful rented house. Bringing friends from all the times & places of my life is one of my favorite things to do, mainly because I think they're all super cool and want them to know one another .. this weekend was no exception: memories were made with friends and I can't think of a better way to begin the next decade of my life.

Sips & Strokes Painting class!

I'm one lucky girl to have friends like these!

Even at 30, party hats are a must.

The ups and downs of the past few weeks allowed me to reflect on the circle of life with its despair, but also the hope in new life, magic grace, and simple things.

Oh, faith and love, too.