I know our blog should be about all the great things that are happening right now, but sometimes we need to stop and acknowledge that there is a hard part of our lives as well. We had a lot of grief in our lives these past few weeks at The Inn On First. Jim's friend of 38 years, Teresa Bulone East Dominic; Jim's spiritual mentor, co-author, and dear friend, Juanita Meller; and today Jamie Cherry's oldest sister, Mary Beth, who had been actively dying from cancer this past year. These are all people who have helped form and shape who we are in our lives today, and we give thanks to them and the growth they inspired within us.It's not that our grief paralyzes us. As a friend of mine said recently: "It is hard until it isn't." And some days it isn't hard at all, and those are the days we celebrate these magnificent lives that have impacted us over the years. Our grief turns to gratitude as we remember them. Our service to our guests continues to deepen, and our love for our guests and each other continues to grow because of those who have loved us well, especially these individuals who have been important anchors in our lives. Thanks to all the wonderful guests who have been so supportive of us during this time of surrender. Our call is clear: celebrate the NOW for tomorrow we may not be here.
