The July 4th holiday was a whirlwind of family, fun, food, some frivolity and most importantly, we planned a very special day to celebrate the life of Beth Ann Eesley. Marc’s sister passed in November of last year in Chicago and during COVID-19 we had no way or opportunity to grieve properly with our loved ones.
On Saturday, July 3rd, our family and friends gathered together to remember, to mourn, to celebrate life, to be together, and to give us all the opportunity to reflect on the loss of someone we loved so dearly. The day itself was picture perfect, the blue sky and white wispy clouds filtered the bright sunshine and gentle breezes swirled around us. Even the butterflies flitted all about and danced in the air.
As family and friends arrived at the lake, the weight and gravity of the event had slowly lifted and sadness melted into a warm embrace. Marc welcomed everyone and spoke from the heart about losing his only sibling – the tears flowed. Marc’s Mom also spoke about the loss of her only daughter and adjacent was a beautiful collage of photos highlighting Beth throughout her life.
Dear friends and close cousins stood and spoke about Beth and her one-of-a-kind style and bravado. A longtime family friend read a poem called The Dash by Linda Ellis. The ‘dash’ represents the time between someone’s birth and their passing. Everything we do during the time of our dash is what matters, what people will remember, what will remain in our hearts. It was a poignant and beautiful remembrance and the feeling of loss – albeit strong and painful – it was the coming together of family that softened the hurt.
Later that day, family stayed on and mused around the fire pit, the little kids had fun fishing from the dock, we glided around Windover Lake on the pontoon and just held on to every moment that made the day so special and cathartic.
The cottage and our new home were filled to the brim with guests over the holiday and we wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Having just moved in on June 14th, we kicked into high gear with entertaining, cooking, happy hours, card games, ATV rides, walks in the woods, … you name it – we did it! And, we are happy to report that the house we built served everyone quite well. Our dream of building a comfortable home where our family and friends are always welcomed has come true.
The other night, the lake looked like a mirror, everything reflected so beautifully. I’ve always said one of the great parts of living here is the lake – it looks different every day and each day I awake and anticipate what it wants to show me – it’s a gift that keeps on giving.
