I hope you are doing well and things are at their best. I just got back from an 8 day trip to see my parents. I will not lie, my time in California was very grueling and difficult. My mother is not doing well, and I took an urgent flight to go see her and help my father out. She has fibromyalgia, epstein barr, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, and was diagnosed semi-recently with Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, and dementia. Every day I was doing my best to hold myself together, sometimes I did alright, most times I fell apart. I wish to pass on something my father said to me in hopes that it can be of insight to you all...

"We were planning on traveling at this age (they are 70), but we can't go anywhere. I can rarely make it out of the house for groceries because she needs full time care. I'm glad we were able to go on trips and camping when you were younger and growing up. Live life to its fullest. Don't worry about the petty things. Don't argue about the petty things."

Now that I am back in Washington again, I don't quite have a different outlook on things, but a more intense definition of what I want out of life. I have always been as happy-go-lucky as I can be, and grateful for all the good that is in my life. I try to look at things optimistically in that I can see, hear, taste, touch and walk. I have a roof over my head and food in the fridge. I'm doing pretty damn good!

My creed is that today is the last July 8th, 2016 there will ever be, make it count!

With the Orlando massacre in mid-June I made it a point to see as many friends in person that I could until I somehow got two lateral cuts on my eyes and was in recovery at home for a week. However I was healed up enough to go march proudly in the Seattle Pride Parade to the point where I could barely walk for a week afterwards.

Life is always going to have tragedy in it, and some will hit you so hard that it will make you want to quit. To that I encourage all of you, go out there and live. Do what you dream! Make the most out of life because we only have once chance, so fill it with positive family and friends that bring you up. Life is too short to feel depressed and alone.

Before I post art, I wish to conclude with this video. It will challenge you.

https://youtu.be/ja-n5qUNRi8

All my love,

Grrrwolf