Peace

Everyone wants it, and seldom do we ever really appreciate it when it happens. This year was a wonderful year for me and LOLA.

Personally, I made the painfully emotional decision to move away from a childhood home that had sheltered me after all of my life losses. Why? A new neighbor moved in a year ago and started harassing my family, so in the spring, I decided we should pick up and move. It was a difficult decision to make, but it was the best decision for all of us. Since then, life has flowed more smoothly; there is more space, more laughter ~ and more LOVE.

Professionally, I took a different approach to the year. As I entered

my 6th year in business, I decided to let God lead the way. I leaned into hearing what he was saying, and he did not disappoint. He guided me to the most genuine, loving, kindhearted businesspeople who all had the same philosophy as I do. The small nuggets led to larger ones and eventually guided me into amazing things happening for LOLA. Don’t get me wrong; I had to let go of some relationships to move forward. And that caused an emotional toll on me. I proved to myself that I could do difficult things.

So, as we enter into the finality of another year, I look back with open eyes and an open heart at all the lessons I learned and all those people who touched me with their lives and losses.

I stand rooted deeply in my faith that if you stop and listen, you will find Peace. You may also hear something else ~ Your Voice.

Cheers to everyone as you spend time with your loved ones. Take a moment for your hearts and, with curiosity, look forward to a New Year of good health and LOVE.

LOLA ~ Esther

Flying SOLO

Life Transition.

It is never easy. As I sat on a zoom call with a group of professional women today discussing Grief, we all shared our thoughts on how this year has felt and all the different things we have experienced.

I sat staring into the eyes of a Beautiful woman, who had lost her husband unexpectantly this year. She and her adult daughters were devastated, and I could see myself in her. I spoke in the kindest voice I could offer her and heard myself say ~

 “I am in my 6th year and I have had to make some hard decisions this year, one being to begin my own life for myself and it has been difficult. One of my kids is angry for the decision to pull away and the other cheers me on, just know, I am here to hold the flashlight for you.”

I sat back and reflected.

Yes, this year has had many transitions.  Selling my childhood home, thinking I could live with my son and his fiancé in what we were trying to build together ~ a generational home. But as the days inched closer, I thought, I still needed to be by myself and learn to love myself alone. How would I ever even open the possibility of allowing someone else to love me if I am living with my son? I am 52. I know I am still young, and Carl told me to LOVE AGAIN.

So slowly putting the wheel in motion, I pulled out my excel spreadsheet to begin the journey. I know it sounds crazy, but I needed to know my baseline on finances, I needed to understand how I would do this ~ alone. I went to meet my lawyer and he encouraged me to be set free to fly on my own. He then said something I found myself leaning my head back and laugh at, he said ~ “EVEN AN ADVOCATE NEEDS AN ADVOCATE!”

I knew I needed to get my life-long items out of the house and that it would charge emotions, so I took my lawyer’s advice and hired Lone Star Legacy Liquidators who is not only a Trusted Partner for LOLA but also a LOLA Advocate.

Jesse Morales and his team walked through the list and showed up, packed and boxed everything and I didn’t even have to show up!  They handled everything down to reorganizing my storage unit. They held my hand through this life transition, and I am forever grateful. While flying solo is scary for me, I have landed in the softest place ever with a friend who loves puzzles, gardening, and WINE. It’s a start and I know my kids will eventually see that this selfish move is not more than a move for me to finally fly solo.

I am so lucky, my kids have landed and found love and partners and I always said once they found people who loved them as much as I did then I could move on.  I think this is called a life transition and yes, I did need a LOLA Advocate and am so thankful for Jesse and his team.

 #lossoflifeadvocates #griefsupport #guidance