Tears of LOVE

There are many things that I can write about today regarding my boys. About how Skye is learning to go to sleep on his own. How he sat quietly and played with his special toy in the pack-n-play this morning so I could put Forrest down for a nap. How cute he is in his Sox uniform from Uncle Sean & Aunt Jen. How Forrest entertained himself in the nursery for close to 45 minutes this morning b/c I could barely keep my eyes open I was so tired. Or the joy he has when you go in to get him after he awakes from a nap all sleepy and cute.

What I want to write about today though, has little directly to do with my boys. I'm going to write about my friend Karin J Kruse, who died at midnight this morning. She was one of the most amazing humans I have known. She was a person who lived her life on her terms, was able to return to London to finish out her days, and was a second mom to me during my 20's. I met Karin when I was 20 years old, at Lewis and Clark College. She taught the advanced self defense class that I took, and eventually was the inspiration for me to begin training Poekoelan. A lot happened during that self defense class that created a connection between us. She was the first person I ever saw test for a first degree black belt in Poekoelan. She taught me how to make a proper cuppa tea - very British you know. When I saw her last summer, she glowed like a light seeing my swollen belly, full of Forrest. She was one of the first people to respond to us getting our adoption decree for Skye and would have loved them like a grandmother had she met them.

I could write pages of memories that I have of her, of things we have done together as teammates, things she shared with me from her wild past (shhhhh PKK I'll keep those a secret), wisdom she gave on how to be a mom, moments we connected on silly things. What I will say though, is that there is always a hug to the knees and then down to the toes for her. I will miss her with all my heart, and celebrate her for the incredible being that she is and was. I mourn that she never got to meet my boys, but know that she sees them and sees our family growing and loving.

The irises will find a home in our yard, a reminder of my friend Pendekkar Karin. I love you PKK, always, forever and beyond....xoxoxoxoxoxo