I remember having a conversation with my grandpa when I was really young about geography.  It was fun and lighthearted and then country of Japan came up.  My grandpa’s demeanor immediately shifted and he uttered something about “those damn Japs.”  My little brain and heart knew intuitively that something was off, and was like whoa gramps, thats not cool… what in the world is this all about? 

My heart is absolutely shattered by the events that have unfolded lately.  The multiple children killed in violent school shootings, the stabbing of Iryna Zarutska, and the murder of Charlie Kirk.  And its totally possible that I’m missing some other horrific events because I tend to make a point of staying away from the news- it’s underlying messages are ones that, in my opinion, spread fear, and sometimes misinformation to propagate that fear.  I don’t like vibrating in the frequency of fear. I prefer Love. 

I made a promise to my grandfather many years ago that I would share his story. The problem was, I didn’t know his story. He passed away and he never shared a word about it. I know this might sound a bit strange, but this didn’t deter me- a promise is a promise- and almost 10 years after I made that promise, I was on a yoga mat in childs pose at a weekend retreat when I heard his voice telling me “It’s time.  Stop letting your self-doubt and fears get in the way, just write.  Share our story.”  It was then I realized that he wanted me to share OUR story- the story of our relationship and how my struggles in many ways mirrored his and that by sharing OUR story, we might hope to help someone else along the way.