Thinking of Eric today...

Today marks the fifth anniversary of Eric's passing. I've wept quite a bit today, as I often do when I think of the huge hole Eric left in our lives. If anyone still is subscribing to this blog, I just wanted to reach out and share a moment of connection with you, and to let you know that all of us Arons's are not only thinking of Eric, but also of all of the friends who rallied around him during his illness and made his life so rich and full of love and support. You are all amazing people, and our lives are fuller for having the opportunity to know you.

I miss Eric every day, and I find myself impacted by him on a near-daily basis. "What Would Eric Do?" has become a guiding principle for me, and although I have always found it easier to make decisions than he did (okay, let's be honest, everyone makes decisions better than Eric did!), I now frequently make decisions that are more courageous, generous, and embracing. A friend calls inviting me to meet her for a weekend in Chicago just for fun, in the middle of the semester - it's a crazy thing to do at the busiest time of the year, but I think "WWED?" and the answer is: yes, go, life is short, being with friends is what it's all about. A colleague tells me about this amazing 24-hour concert performance by Taylor Mac that she saw in New York last year, and mentions that it will come to Philadelphia this year, over two weekends, for 12 hours each weekend - it's expensive, involves two weekends of 11-hour round trip travel plus a marathon performance, but "WWED?": well, Eric would not forgo a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because of silly things like money or travel time, and so I go, and it's amazing and fabulous. These are just two gifts of the "WWED?" philosophy from this past year, and though it pains me every day that Eric is not with us, I take consolation and even some joy in thinking that I carry his spirit forward, even if I can only emulate him in small ways.

May his spirit live on in all of you, too....