Dearest Aunt Elaine.

Movement. I cannot imagine life without movement. I sit; I stand at Aunt Elaine's visitation. I move around. I pace in wonderment. My mind wanders from conversation to conversation; memory to memory. She lies motionless. No thoughts. No breathing. Her hands stay in the same spot. Her face with the same expression. I cannot comprehend this motionless life.

I smile at wonderful memories. I cry because I miss her. She lies motionless. No thoughts. No breathing. No emotions. Her hands in the same spot. Her face with the same expression. I cannot comprehend this motionless life.

I grow. I change. I get bigger. I get smarter. She lies motionless. No thoughts. No breathing. No emotions. No change. Her hands stay in the same spot. Her face with the same expression. I cannot comprehend this motionless life.

Life was meant to move. To think. To breathe. To have emotion. To change, good and bad. Forward and backward. Up and down.

The lack of motion explains life. The lack of motion explains the hardships. Because without those times, there would be nothing. No motion. No thoughts. No breathing. No emotions. No change.

Life is based off of comparison and contrast. Motion. We need motion to know lack of motion. We need life to know lack of life.

How do we know if we are truly alive in Christ? Motion. We will have good times. We will struggle. There will be times of great joy. Times of great sorrow. This contrast tells us we are alive in Him. He is there. He is there when we succeed. He is there when we fall. Only when we realize the life needs motion will we be completely incomplete.

Movement. I can imagine this life without movement. I sit; I stand at Aunt Elaine's visitation. I move around. I pace in wonderment. My mind wanders from conversation to conversation; memory to memory. I lie motionless. No thoughts. No breathing. My hands stay in the same spot. My face with the same expression. I can comprehend this motionless life.

Aunt Elaine. I write this for you. And you alone. I miss your sweet spirit. I miss your beautiful smile. I kept looking over at you expecting you to move. The environment was one you thrive in. I kept expecting to turn around and you be standing there. Dancing. Singing. Talking. I just wanted to see you one last time. Thriving. Not motionless. Aunt Elaine, I miss the baseball games, football games, and different experiences. You have touched so many more people than just myself. I know you are watching over me in Heaven. I know you and your sweet, loving self are rejoicing and you are pain free. Thank you for all the ways you have kept my life full of movement. Aunt Elaine, I love you and miss you terribly!