{"id":2558,"date":"2021-09-03T06:50:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-03T10:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spreadhappyness.com\/?p=2558"},"modified":"2022-09-05T15:05:27","modified_gmt":"2022-09-05T19:05:27","slug":"week-364-life-between-the-losses-reflections-as-the-seven-year-mark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spreadhappyness.com\/?p=2558","title":{"rendered":"Week #364 – Life Between the Losses (Reflections at the Seven Year Mark)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/a>
(Photo credit: Courtesy of Gina Buongiorno)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Week #364 – Life Between the Losses (Reflections at the Seven Year Mark)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greetings Happyness Tribe \u2014 and Welcome to Week #364!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seven years ago on September 5th my world changed forever \u2014 and on September 8th<\/a>, SpreadHappyness was born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It seems like forever ago and just yesterday all at the same time. And as I head into September — and especially the week ahead — I can’t help but simultaneously look back AND look forward at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seven years is a tricky amount of time.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lot has happened to put A LOT of distance between life \u201cthen\u201d and life \u201cnow.\u201d We lost Rob, we moved, I started a new job, I settled into a new life in Los Angeles, but my heart always seemed to stay in Ocean Grove. Finally I settled into a visiting routine. Then Covid came, and going home as often wasn’t as much of a choice. And then we lost Jim’s dad in the most unexpected way…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the losses piled up — (and believe me, I know there are many many blessings in between!) — the distance got greater. As my former boss in New York once said to me in a passing conversation: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You gotta put a little life between the losses.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seven years out, I’m putting some life between the losses. I still miss my brother. My family. My Jersey Shore life. I struggle with the distance and ask myself every day if it’s worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And in the meantime, I try to remember the basics<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n