My friend, Josh, over at World’s Strongest Librarian wrote a post that is so beautiful and profound that I had to share it here. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it all day. He talked about the defining moments of his life in terms of when they happened, how he felt about them, and what they meant to him. It’s a form that I love so much that I created my own snapshots of when. So many thanks to Josh for inspiring my writing and my life. Here goes…
When I first saw my niece, I realized why it was so important to have children in our lives.
When my heart broke, I realized that it didn’t take as long to heal and love again as I thought it would.
When he passed away, I didn’t feel as relieved as I thought I would – it was then that I started down the very long path to forgiveness.
When I crossed that finish line, realizing a dream years in the making, I was more grateful for the strength of my body than ever before.
When I decided to keep loving through the hurt, I realized that on the other side there was more love.
When I graduated, I knew at that moment that I could do anything I set my mind to.
When I looked out at the wild surf of South Africa, I realized that I had traveled very far from home and still felt like I belonged.
When I stood in front of a classroom for the first time, I had much more to offer than I ever expected.
When I chased a dream as far as I could and it still wasn’t enough to make it real, I was amazed at my resilience to just get a new dream.
When I said a final good-bye to my dear and faithful friend, I found that not everything or everyone is replaceable. Some parts of our lives and hearts can never be reclaimed, and that’s okay.
When I first put my writing out into the world for everyone to see, I found that there was a lot more support for my ideas that I ever knew and much of that support came from people I didn’t even know.
When the curtain came down and I heard the applause, I knew I had been part of something much greater than myself.
When I almost didn’t get a tomorrow, I understood how precious every moment is and that dreams can’t wait.
When I found the courage to tell my own story, I discovered that I had the ability to inspire the same courage in others.
Christa Avampato 
