We landed on September 12, 2013 at 11a.m. and got our first passport stamp. Surreal. We got our stuff from baggage claim and spent a good 45 minutes riding up and down the same elevator because we were unsure about how to get to the Metro. We finally figured it out and hopped on the train toward Notre Dame!!!! In the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. The train reminded me of the Metro in NYC. After the Notre Dame, we went to see the Lover's Bridge in Paris. The Lockets of Love is a beautiful symbolic tradition of love. You write your name and the name of your loved ones on a lock and link it to the railings of the bridge of the River Siene. Then, you throw the key into the river, symbolizing everlasting love with your significant. My Bestie and I enjoyed looking at the lockets, but we decided to hold off on getting a lock until we revisit that spot with our significant. It was a very trying time in the "City of Love" without a significant, but I truly felt that it was a great time for Kat and I to get away from the San Francisco scene and reflect, reminisce and cherish our time on this earth. Our trip to Paris symbolized the love we have for ourselves, our self-love!
This past year has been especially challenging for us as we are mourning the loss of our best friend and Kat's dear cousin, Joyce deGuzman. Joyce's death spun our community into self-actualization. When she left earth, we all were forced to reevaluate our lifestyles. We questioned our path, intentions, ambitions and goals, and our missions in life.
Joyce de Guzman was born on September 7, 1986 to Josephine and Rodolfo de Guzman. She was the youngest of four children after Dorothy, Yvonne and Sharon. Joyce was a very family-oriented person. Despite the age differences amongst her sisters, they were very much inseparable. They had lots of fun hanging out with each other at home, creating new games and more. The entire family had great communication and a strong bond with each other.
Joyce, a hard working woman, raised her two children, Aliyah, 7, and Ryder, 4. When Aliyah was born on October 23, 2004, Joyce dedicated her life to motherhood. On September 8, 2007, Joyce and Paul were blessed with their second child, Ryder. Ryder graduated preschool in July 2012. Her dedication to her children was inspiring to us all. Read more about her story by clicking on her name. The link with take you to her fundraising page.
As heart breaking and traumatizing it was to lose Joyce, her legacy lives on through her children and loved ones. It's truly #abeautifulthing.
No comments:
Post a Comment