I ((heart)) New York!

I just returned from a fabulous trip to New York City with my Mom.  We crammed a lot into 3 days but had a blast!  We did and saw so much.  


Ground Zero was first on our list.  Seeing the aftermath of 9/11 was a surreal experience; it reminded me that there is so much tragedy and sadness in the world.  There are so many people who are mourning the loss of someone.  I tend to live in my own grief bubble sometimes.  I get so consumed with own grief and it is easy to forget  that I am not the only one who has suffered and lost so much.


After the solemn visit to Ground Zero it was on to more upbeat things.  Macy's was next on the list and what an experience that was!  It was like walking into a party as we crossed the threshold; the music was pumping and people were all a buzz.  Just walking into that store would make anyone smile...I think my Mom and I both danced through the doors :)  We stopped at FAO Schwartz and a few street side markets; took a stroll in central park; ate fabulous food; went to the Top of The Rock (Rockefeller Center); visited the Today Show; witnessed the magic of The Radio City Rockettes and the talents of Broadway; and ate more great food!   It was truly a weekend of a lifetime and I felt so lucky to be experiencing that with my Mom.  I felt great all weekend - like I had taken a drink from the cup of life and had snuck away from my old companion, grief.  I had a few sad moments here and there but for the most part, I was up.

New York wouldn't be New York without Broadway and we were lucky enough to see two shows;   Promises, Promises and Wicked. 

Both of the shows were amazing!!

The song For Good from Wicked has been mentioned on many other BLM blogs and now I know why. It comes at the end of the performance and as I listened to it the tears just rolled down my face.  Here are the particular lyrics that stuck out for me.  


"...It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me 
Is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine..." 


--------


...Who can say if I've been 
Changed for the better?
I do believe I have been
Changed for the better
And because I knew you...
I have been changed for good." 


Pretty powerful lyrics, if you ask me. I have been truly changed because of my sweet girl and she will always be with me "like a handprint on my heart".  I love that line because it is exactly how I feel.  She lives on within me - safe, loved and remembered.  I have been forever changed because I knew her.  I see life differently now.  I don't want to take anything for granted because I know how things can change before you even have a chance to blink.  I understand all too well the frailty of life, it is a precious gift. 



The trip away was just what I needed.  It was nice to get away from my reality and to be thrust into such a lively environment with so much distraction.  It was another step in a positive direction, another step in the healing process.  I realize that tomorrow I may be pulled back under water but for now I am up and loving New York!