In the midst of grief, there is beauty.

My husband is beautiful! His soul is beaming with love.

I tend to wallow in sadness and ignore the beauty. My husband is my polar opposite. He finds beauty in everything.

I admire that about him.

One of my major personality flaws is that I am always planning for the future. I get so consumed by how things should be, I forget to see them for what they are.

Kevin lives in the moment. And he reminds me of how truly blessed we are. We have so many people who care about us. The abundance of love we have been shown is overwhelming. God is good.

As we find the pieces of our hearts and place them back together, I feel every decision is a burden…Kevin sees the hard things as a privilege.

Having Kevin in my life is a privilege! He eases my anxiety, calms my mind and allows me to dream.

My family has a memorial stone and garden. Our loved ones are remembered by a plaque on a lovely stone. We often plant a tree or flower in their honor. It’s a peaceful place surrounded by God’s glory.

Kevin suggested we choose a name that can be accompanied by a beautiful tree. Something that will bring us joy.

And so the search began.

We landed on the Rowan tree. The mountain ash.

The Rowan tree has beautiful white flowers in spring, red or yellow berries in summer and bright red leaves in the fall. It’s hardy and lives for up to 200 years. It’s often called the tree of protection and has deep roots in Greek and Celtic mythology.

Rowan…

Rowan Quinn Russell lives with Jesus now. Our arms are empty and hearts are broken. But in the midst of our grief, we find beauty.

Kevin assures me that life will go on. And it will be wonderful. You see… his belief system is simple. Trust in God and love one another, everything else works itself out.

I know he is right.

Even when I feel like life will not go on. I trust in God. After all, God sent me Kevin. And with love like his (and His) things have to be ok…eventually.