FinCon 2017: Better Late Than Never

Alright, I must admit that we are a little late to the FinCon wrap-up post party.  My apologies!

But like the saying goes, better late than never.

FinCon was amazing!

Mr. Wow and I had the best time.  It was amazing to meet so many more people in this community and get to hear their stories firsthand.  Now we have faces (and voices) to put behind the words we read.

To add to it, the bbq was delightful. The beer was damn good. And the bacon and beer flight was just as good as it sounds.

BBQ from Pecan Lodge

IPA from Deep Ellum Brewing

The Bacon Flight at BrainDead Brewing

FinCon is epic, as so many posts already prove.  Check out Physician on Fire's stellar recap and the links to all the other post FinCon posts. Really, they're all fantastic, and he did a great job compiling them all.  Thanks PoF!

Honestly, I could be done right now since that pretty much sums it up.

But Life Isn't Always Amazing

As many of you know, a few months ago I vowed that I would keep to my posting schedule. I mean, come on, I only need to write a post every other week.  Shouldn't be that hard right?

Wrong!

Sometimes life just gets in the way.

Unfortunately for me, post-FinCon life hit me like a ton of bricks.

It's taken a few weeks, but I am finally starting to climb myself out of the stress and emotional hole I was in.

 

Street art in Dallas has a whole new meaning now.

 

This post might be a difficult read.

To be honest, it was a difficult one to write.

If you choose not to read it, no hard feelings. If you do make it to the end, just know that I deeply appreciate it.

 So Here Goes...

The week after FinCon was rough.

It was one of the most difficult weeks I have had in a long time.

The week started like any other week. I was on a high from the amazingness of FinCon. Albeit exhausted, I was happy, smiling all the time and loving every second.

Then Wednesday rolled around.  I was sitting having lunch with one of my interns, when I got the email.

One of my clients had passed away.

He was 2 years old.

I was crushed, bewildered, distraught.  My happiness balloon immediately popped and I was violently thrown back down into "real life".

Questions began racing through my head.

How did this happen? Why this kid?

He was only 2 years old.

That day is nothing but a blur to me now.  I couldn't even find the words to tell Mr. Wow that night.

It's Not Always Rainbows and Butterflies

The Wednesday prior, I was having the time of my life and a week later, I was facing one of life's most sobering moments.

And unfortunately, this isn't my first time.  Within my eight years of practice, this is the fourth time I've dealt with the death of a young client.

Despite dealing with it in the past, the death of a child is impossible to come to terms with.

Even the pastor at the service couldn't make sense of it.

And let me tell you, going to that service was one of the hardest things I have ever done.

Watching the boy's parents completely break down during their speech and then hearing the emotional sobbing  emitted from the crowd, there are no words to explain the pain that was felt in that room.

I tried to hold it together, but eventually my emotions got the best of me. Even as I write these words, the tears begin to fill my eyes.  It never gets any easier.

I still don't think that I have fully come to terms with it.  Not sure if I ever will.  But I have tried my best to embrace the emotions and find the good in life, regardless of how hard this has been.

I am honored to have gotten the chance to know this precious boy and his family. I am blessed to be a part of the community that came together to celebrate his life.

A monarch just hanging out in my garden

The Importance of Community

Honestly, one of the main things that kept me going that week and the weeks following was this community.  The posts, the tweets, the comments and the podcasts were the only thing that made me smile.  They were the only thing to look forward to.  The virtual hugs made all the difference in the world.

It was this community that made going through such a difficult situation, even the slightest bit more bearable.

I have found my tribe and I'm so glad I have.

Finding Gratitude in Hard Times

Facing an unexpected and unexplained death has made me realize the significance of surrounding myself with good people.  Being that it is the week of Thanksgiving, I wanted to take a moment to give thanks to my old friends, my new friends and to those friends I have yet to meet.  You have added so much value to my life.

You have pushed me to be a better person. You have challenged me.  You have consoled me in times of distress.  You have solidified my life's purpose.

You all have done so much more than you will ever know and for that I am forever thankful.

This was by no means an easy post to write, but come to think of it, life isn't easy.  Life isn't always explainable.  But sometimes it sends a message right when you need it. Just as I was finishing this post, this song came on.

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb