Every once in awhile someone comes into your life quite unexpectedly. These are the type of people that give without asking anything in return.They draw you into their embrace, and they hold you close to their heart and all you want to do is make sure you do nothing to disappoint them.
I believe that people come into our lives for a reason. Whether it's for only a moment, or a friendship that's bound for a lifetime of bonding, laughter and good times. Angels touch us daily and sometimes we don't even know we've been touched. Sometimes we admire those angels from a far and hope to someday meet them and stand in their beauty, but sometimes it's not good to put them up on pedestals either.Sometimes Angels are normal folk just like you and me.
It's funny how it all came about but again, I think people come into our lives for a reason. I posted a blog post not to long ago called {ZOZ} feeding our addictions: http://dreamingsecondlife.blogspot.com/2014/05/zoz-feeding-our-addictions.html and I jumped into the We Love to blog chat and made some comment that she was killing me with cuteness or something like that. Of course she was busy preparing for upcoming events but Dalriada saw that comments so Zoz jumped in. Please remember that I've been a huge fan and have spoken to these two wonderful ladies in passing but nothing more. The conversation went on and Zoz said something about making a pair of shoes for me, named after me. I didn't think she was serious and well if she was that it'd be down the line before she ever did make them. I was (pleasantly) surprised when she invited me to peek at some new shoes she'd bought and asked me to pick which one I liked and wanted. Then we talked about colors and what not. Purple is my favorite color, and my name Namrah means "little tiger/tigress". So her creative mind got to working. Again, I thought it'd be weeks before she would complete them but then she told me that she was making them exclusive for Fashion for Life. I was floored. I teared up and actually had to step away from the computer for awhile because I was just so amazed.
Remember where I said Angels come into our lives for a reason? She touched me that day without even knowing it. This summer June 23rd marks what would have been my dads 70th birthday but sadly, my dad passed away in 2009 from Cancer. This is something she didn't know, couldn't have known but here she's doing something name after me, for an event that will support the very research that kept my dad alive for many years after he was first diagnosed. At first they told my dad he had just a year or two to live, but he fooled them and lived about 5 or 6 years longer then they told him. It was about this time though in 2009 that he got the news to get all of his things in order, that this time there was nothing they could do for him. He of course was in denial for abit but he knew, he knew in his heart his end was near. We all joked that he was lucky because he knew he had an expiration date. My family has a very morbid sense of humor. The first two months he didn't really tell me or my siblings much. There are 4 of us and I'm the youngest and was the closest to them. I was home every other weekend seeing them and my children who lived in the same town so I saw my dad and knew something was up. They finally told us. Thankfully I had the type of job that cares about family and I worked 7 days on and 7 days off so on my off weeks I was home staying with my parents and doing what I could to make their life easier. In August I spoke to my job and asked them for a leave of absence which I was given immediately with a "Your job is here for as long as you want it, take care of your family." So I moved home, because they had put my dad on hospice so he could die at home. I didn't want to miss one moment of life with my mom and dad. We laughed, we remembered things we held on tight to the wonderful memories of our loving family.
On September 2nd 2009 we said goodbye to him. 5 days before my parents would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Being from a medical background I knew the end was near, but my family didn't want to believe it, but I knew. I watched his body, I watched the cancer crawling up his chest. I knew. Many times throughout the day he was looking off over my shoulder and he'd be smiling. And at one point he said "I know momma, I know." And I turned but my mom was standing behind me. I asked him who he was talking to. He just shook his head and said "Momma" And I said but who's momma? He patted his chest and said "Mine." Now, before I go on, I'm not here to pump down religion because that's not what I'm about. I don't have a whole lot of religion in my bones, but I do have faith that there's more out there then just "us" and I had felt my grandmother ALL day long. At one point our kitchen smelled of her and she'd never stepped foot in that house. So when my dad said that's who he was talking to well I wasn't going to question what he was seeing but I knew. In my heart, I knew.
That evening I made my mom stay close to him and when he took his last breath she was in his arms, and his family surrounded his hospital bed at home. Only one of my brothers wasn't there as he had left the day before to return to his family because my nieces birthday was coming up. So Daddy died with my mom in his arms, his brother standing near, and 3 of his 4 children surrounding him knowing that he died very loved. It's funny looking back I suppose that I stood there with my brother and my sisters arms around me watching my dad take his last breath, and my mom crying, sobbing begging him to stay but I was at peace. I knew that my dad was okay and that he was finally at rest and without pain for the first time I think in years. Saying goodbye was one of the hardest things I could ever do, but I believe that there was so much love to be had in being at home and having him go peacefully with his family surrounding him.
There's more to the story and if you're truly interested feel free to message and I can tell you the rest.
I think that these events on Second Life that support research in any fashion, sharing their proceeds to any wonderful cause is fantastic and that we as buyers should continue to support and do our part. I for one, can't walk and run miles in marathons but I can donate in other ways and on SL it gives me a way to pay it forward.
I hope you enjoy the Namrah Heels, there's a lot of emotion within them that Zoz had no idea when she was creating. And I'm touched beyond belief that she chose to name a pair of shoes after me. So when you wear them, know that there's an angel somewhere smiling.
