Spirit Of Shimmer

Yesterday I pulled up to the stop light, feeling heavy with sadness & deep in thought about what I should do that night, on the eve of what would have been Shimmer’s 16th birthday. I thought really hard as I sat there at the stoplight “What would *she* want me to do to celebrate her birthday?” Feeling the weight of her loss. Not knowing what to do to honor her on her 16th birthday, The answer suddenly came BLASTING through my window like an overwhelming tidal wave of joy from out of nowhere. 

A car pulled up next to me, all his windows down, blasting our Dreamland Roller Rink birthday song, Celebration. On her birthday. As I sat there at the stop light. The first few notes of the song blasting at full volume in the sunshine immediately evoked the words I’ve said on the Dreamland Roller Rink microphone a million times throughout her life as her deep eyes looked lovingly on from her doggie bed beneath the DJ Booth.…..”Allllll right it’s time for the Birthday Song! Who’s celebrating a birthday today…….” I always say as I walk out onto the rink and give a celebratory shout out to everyone with a birthday that day.

This would take place sometimes numerous times a day as we celebrate each and every birthday of everyone celebrating at the rink that day…. As she looked on from her dog bed beneath the DJ Booth. As that song, Celebration played! 

At first I felt shock and disbelief. I suppose you might say it’s just a coincidence….. but how many times have you heard anyone blasting Kool and the Gang while driving down Coney Island Avenue, on a Wednesday afternoon, with all their windows down!? Especially at that moment. As I was deep in thought about how I should celebrate her life on her birthday. 

I know she was telling me to celebrate. And for a brief moment I felt the exhilaration of that moment, but then I burst into tears at the magnitude of the message & the beauty of her ongoing presence. So I lost it. 

BUT….. tomorrow night we will celebrate her life. I’ll try to keep it together better than I did on Coney Island Ave yesterday!