Attached is the link to Shannon’s slideshow that I promised to post.
http://www.facebook.com/v/520720390721
I’d also like to leave this post with a letter written by Shannon back in December. At the luncheon following Shannon’s services last Wednesday, my brother read this letter aloud to everyone and said a few additional words in tribute to Shannon. It was just beautiful and although I can’t re-create his portion of the speech, I wanted to share this letter with those who weren’t able to attend. We came across this letter on Shannon’s computer. I look at this as one more great gift that Shannon has left to us. In some of my conversations with Shannon while she was sick, she would express how frustrating it was for her to see others not appreciating the life that they have in front of them and at one point, through her tears I could really see the great passion and emotion that she felt about this. I felt that it was appropriate to share this gift of Shannon’s so that we may all remember what she would want most for all us…to remember her and all that we have learned from her but also to continue on each of our journeys here and make the very most that we can of our lives. I am convinced that God has a plan and a calling for each of us. We just need to keep our hearts and our minds open so that we can follow what he is calling each of us to do in this life. As Shannon explains in her note and as we have witnessed first-hand over this past year, it is the PEOPLE around us that make the difference in our lives and that is exactly what we should be centering our lives around, not around aquiring the material things...
December 9, 2008
Life is crazy. One day you wake up and someone tells you that you have cancer and there is no cure so this is your last leg of the race. There is nothing else anyone can tell you or any body pains or roughness you can go through after you hear that that will surprise you. I was awakened to this yesterday when I had an EKG ( sorry and echocardiogram) done and they found “something” in the right side of my heart. And I wasn’t phased….not one bit. Until later I got home and I think things just got to me. Any normal person after hearing that would have been out of their mind…even if it was something that wasn’t a big deal. But not to me…I have bigger deals. It is funny how much you do not appreciate the things around you. The little things. Until you face death right in the face. I do not wish for people to know what it is like to have to go through something like this but I do wish they would realize how lucky we are for today. How yes, we all need money to get by but that isn’t what life is about. Life is about laughing, enjoying, and most of all loving. God gave us this emotion to show us how wonderful being alive is and how wonderful it will be once we are gone. It is still hard for me to really get my mind around how great it will be up there when I feel so blessed down here. I have a mother and father who nuture and block as much bad as they can from me and they never let me feel alone. Who love me unconditionally and would do anything for me because they love me that much. I have a family that does the same and sticks by me and supports me and holds me high above the clouds making sure that myself and all the other members of the family around me are taken care of. I have a boyfriend who through it all sticks by me and supports me and still calls me beautiful when I feel the worst I have ever felt..and what makes it special is he doesn’t have to…but he does because of love. I have friends who have been my brothers and sisters and always checked in on me making sure I am okay. I have a real brother and sister who help me with anything I need and give me praise for being so strong…when I think they are the strong ones. I could go on and on and on…but you see what I mean? I have heaven on earth. I couldn’t even dream up a better family…that is what they all are to me.
