I got home from work today and sat down in my office to open the mail. Out of the corner of my eye through the window I could see a migration of beautiful white birds, hundreds of them, flying over my house. I’d never seen this happen before in such numbers. I ran outside and stood in the backyard staring at the sky in awe of their beauty. They just kept coming, headed South for the winter I presumed. I ran back in the house to grab my phone so I could video this amazing moment in time. They soared through the atmosphere, disappearing on the horizon. They looked like bright lights flickering across the afternoon sky.
Where are they headed? What’s in store for them? All questions I ask about myself and my new future without my Joe.
Those beautiful birds reminded me of one of Joe’s favorite Van Halen songs, “Eagles Fly”. Sammy Hagar told a crowded stadium when they released the song that he wrote it about being born. For Joe, it represented being free. Free to be whoever or whatever he wanted to be, to live how he wanted to live. I always felt it was a beautiful expression of hope and strength when things were hard in life.
But now, for me it represents what’s in front of me. I have to rely on my faith. I have to believe that God will continue giving me the strength I need to get up every day and just remember to breathe. The road ahead won’t be easy but I know I have to find joy in life again. And just like those beautiful birds headed south for the winter, there is no map to follow. Just the instinct to survive and thrive.

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