On a Positive Note

ON A POSITIVE NOTE

On a positive note…..Our lives are filled with so many blessings

On a positive note…Our lives offer incredible opportunities…those we see & those that are presented to us

On a positive note….There’s always someone or some cause we can contribute to

On a positive note….We can go anywhere in life….We can reach for the stars…We can follow our dreams…We can make a genuine difference in our lives & in others

On a positive note…We can help someone else fulfill their dreams

On a positive note…Each day is a new beginning

On a positive note…If today doesn’t work out the way we hoped it would, try again tomorrow

On a positive note…We should live each day as if it’s our last, just in case tomorrow doesn’t come...And if we are blessed to have tomorrow, make that day just as great

On a positive note….There’s nothing we can’t achieve…no roadblock we can’t get past….We have the power within ourselves to go anywhere & do anything

On a positive note….We all have incredible strength within ourselves

On a positive note…We all have hope in our hearts

On a positive note…We can all have faith in something or someone…hopefully first & foremost within ourselves

On a positive note…We can chose to never loose sight of what or who is important to us

On a positive note…It is better to have loved & lost then to never have loved at all

On a positive note….The sun will shine again

On a positive note…The rain will help grass & flowers grow

On a positive note….The snow will make the things around us look beautiful

On a positive note…The ground is there for us to walk upon

On a positive note…The sky is there for us to fly through

 On a positive note…There is always something to be positive about....If you are in a difficult place & can't seem to find the positive, reach out, let someone guide you to see it...It's always there...even through the negative notes....

One Young Man....Many Lives Impacted (Tribute to Daniel Louis Frawley 8/28/86 - 4/17/14)

It's true...one person can change, positively impact, help, love, and guide so many people...Even at the young age of 27.....

When Daniel Louis Frawley died unexpectedly at the young age of 27 on 4/17/14, his passing was followed by dozens & dozens of stories and memories shared from/by a couple hundred family & friends who all gave the same message...."Dan was such an important part of my life & he made such a difference in my life."

As family began to grieve, messages starting pouring out upon Facebook, on his page & in private messages, and then in person at each of Dan's two services (one in Kansas where he lived with his wife/3 children, and the 2nd in Canada where he grew up with his parent, Mike & Brenda, sister, Cassie & so many other family members & friends).  Incredible, heart-warming messages from friends near & far (Canada, Kansas, California).

All the messages with a similar personal view & feeling....Dan was such a great friend...Dan supported me in my own struggles...Dan helped me get through some of the toughest times of my life....Dan sent encouraging messages to me daily...Dan was always there for me....Dan accepted me for who I was....Dan never judged me.....Dan always spoke from the HEART....Dan reached out to me when I was struggling....Dan always gave me bear hugs of reassurance....Dan was always there for me....Dan was my BEST FRIEND....DAN SAVED MY LIFE......

Yes, our Dan, Danny, Daniel, Dan Man...our son, brother, nephew, cousin, grandson, friend.......Positively, unselfishly, whole-heartedly and unconditionally loved, befriended, support & guided so many people...so many friends.  WHAT A LEGACY TO LEAVE!!  And what tremendous comfort it brought to all of us who have been heartbroken by his passing. 

The loss of our beloved Danny has shattered our hearts and put a hole in our family, but our hearts are mended by, and the hole in our family, is being filled by the legacy he left.

What a way to be remembered in life.....One Young Man....So Many Lives He So Positively Impacted

Here's to you Dan Man!!!!!!!

May your legacy, your love, your passion for life & your kind-hearted soul live on in others - all those you loved & who loved you, and be carried on through our actions in our lives, and make the same difference in the lives we touch.

-Dedicated in Very Loving Memory, Honor & Legacy of Daniel Louis Frawley August 28, 1986 - April 17, 2014.

Life...So Fragile...Hold On Tight

The call came at around 11PM on Thursday, April 17th, 2014....The voice on the other end of the phone says, "I have some bad, bad news about Danny."  Me...."What? What happened? Is he ok?"  "No" followed by and an explanation of what happened....Me asking again, "Will he be ok?"  Other end, "No, no, he's dead."  Me....screaming "NO, NO, NO", running around my apartment screaming "NO, NO, NO" then falling to the floor & clenched to the side of the couch, crying in pain & agony as my poor daughter takes the phone to ask her Uncle what happened. I hear her screams, "NO, NO, NO"  & the next few hours was spent partly on the floor clenched first to the side of my couch & then in my bedroom to the side of my bed, whaling in agony as more & more pain filled my body....NEVER in my life did I think this moment would come or that I could feel this amount of instant, gut wrenching, heart tearing pain.....And from that moment on, 1/2 my heart died also.....And the person I am & the life I lead will never be the same again.....My nephew, my Little Buddy who had the other 1/2 of my heart for the past 27 years was gone forever....That's how fragile life is....In the blink of an eye.....You can loose something or someone that meant almost more to you than life itself...

Whether it be the death of a loved one....an unexpected health diagnosis....a loss of a job.....a life-changing injury.....an end to a long term relationship....LIFE IS FRAGILE & can change in a heartbeat....no warning....with no opportunity to prepare to deal with it...Or to say Goodbye :(

What do we do then...How do we cope....How do we go on......How do we see the light again.......

In the days, weeks, months & even years following......You grieve, you struggle, you experience a roller coaster ride full of some of the hardest emotions one can feel....you feel that life is over....you feel like you're loosing your mind....you can't see the light at the end of such a dark tunnel.  It's human nature & perfectly ok to feel these things....You must in order to heal, survive & move on....

Initially, lots of people, family & friends, may express their condolences or sorry's for whatever your situation is.....you may receive some phone calls, messages, cards & visits....At least for a short time following that hard or hardest moment in your life......And then, suddenly, those things are gone too....And your left to face it alone, or with less/little support....People don't know what to say or what to do....People figure that once the shock wears off that it's time to pick up & move forward....That grief is short-lived, that death and/or loss is part of life....It happens, we express grief, others express sorrow, we move on, life goes back to normal.......All that is far from the truth....I promise you that.

Yes, life must go on, but you certainly don't/can't/may not feel able to put that pain aside & move on as quickly as everyone else can.  And that's ok.  For with grief or major change in life, it's so important that we take our time...And as much time as we individually feel we need, to grieve and deal with our pain.  Only then, will we be able to heal & find peace within yourself, and if it's due to a death of a loved one, you'll be able to honor your loved one & what they meant to you.

For many years of my life....I've tried to help any/everyone I could/can...esp. those going through hard times....Never in my life did I think I'd be in those shoes one day so soon...That I'd be the one in need.....But it's part of life, it's part of reality....we're each & all going to go through a life-changing & heart-altering loss or experience.....Many times we won't have the opportunity to prepare for it...But we must find a way through it....As life does go on....And for those who loose a loved one....Our loved ones would certainly not want to see us suffer for too long.

Life...Filled with so much unknown....So many unexpected experiences....We just never know each day when our moment of fragility will strike....All we can do is hold on tight when it does....

Peace.....

In VERY Loving Memory, Honor & Legacy of Daniel Louis Frawley,
August 28, 1986 - April 17, 2014