Today Is A Gift

This summer has been a difficult one. In the space of one month, we suffered three painful losses. The most terrible and unexpected was the tragic death of my daughter in law’s only sister, Molly.

Molly was just 24 years old. She was one of those rare people who radiated pure joy, and she made an indelible impression on everyone who had the good fortune to meet her. A passionate gardener and champion of the environment, Molly grew organic vegetables and flowers which she sold at her Full Steam Farm stand. During the Fourth of July weekend, she went rafting in the Deerfield River with a group of friends. Suddenly, what had been a sunny, happy day filled with laughter and camaraderie became unbearably, shockingly harrowing when Molly was caught in a whirlpool and drowned.

These words were on a painted sign that Molly displayed on her farm stand. They perfectly encapsulate her carefree, loving, exuberant spirit, and they are now pasted to the front of my computer screen to remind me everyday to be overjoyed.