It was June 2011 that David and I first laid eyes on each other. I was hosting an event at the wine bar he worked at. His beaming smile greeted me as I walked up the entrance stairs. He let me know everything was being taken care of and I felt so welcome. As the event began, so did the flirtations between David and I. He honestly knocked it out of the park with his first line, asking: "Are you related to the (name) sisters? And when I shook my head no, he said "oh, because they are drop dead gorgeous too."
I put my head on this comforting strangers shoulder and as he puts it, "nuzzled" him after his winning opening line.
When the event ended, I enjoyed a glass of wine at the bar and was preparing to leave. That's when I heard my heart speaking to me, "just stay, just stay where you are". I listened and David soon appeared again with a big flirtatious smile. We both knew that was the beginning of our beautiful 2 year, 3 month love story.
David shared with me his dreams of all the things he wanted to do and change in his life and I supported all of them. This was the beginning of our adventures together and over the coming years, we traveled to England, we drove across Canada, we hiked to the top of many mountains, he took up long-distance biking and we cheered each other the whole way. We developed a beautiful, loving partnership.
In August, 2013 David's health took a turn. He had suffered from seizures now and again since he was young but since they were relatively rare, he was never really treated as someone who had Epilepsy. His seizures suddenly started to become more frequent and so for most of August we were in and out of the hospital trying to find the perfect medication combination for him. On Sept. 9th, 2013, while in hospital, David's heart and brain stopped speaking to each other and he passed on.
In that moment, my life changed forever In that moment, my best friend was gone, my lover was gone and my future husband was gone.
The months that followed were incredibly difficult, confusing and emotional. I was grateful to be surrounded by friends and family and a very helpful grief therapist. I placed no expectations on myself for how or how long I was going to unplug from the world. Those I was coaching at the time were incredibly understanding of my need to pause on future sessions. I did my best to get through the days and as bits of strength returned to my body, I would take myself to a yoga class at the end of my street.
In February 2014, I started to contemplate what my future might hold and it began with a trip to Sedona, Arizona to be in the sun and get to the root of what I truly wanted in my life. I was now in a place where I understood, at my very core how precious life is and if you are not leading a truly authentic life, then what are you doing?
David was a very authentic person and always the first to tell anyone who inquired to be true to themselves and follow their dreams. He encouraged this in others and lived this way himself, always fully transparent.
My desire to just be myself in all areas of my life caused me to realize that my current brand I created 7 years ago, "YourDateCoach" was no longer me. I'm a very literal person so when I was questioned about who I have become, I uttered the words:
I am all about Living and Loving Authentically
There is nothing more important to me than living my truth and encouraging others to do the same. It's a theme that has existed in my life for a long time but rarely shared under the YourDateCoach brand. That will no longer be the case. In the coming months and years, you can expect to be inspired and learn about love, relationships, healthy living, travel, music and more. I hope you will continue on this journey with me and continue to let me know the areas you want help with. I want this to be a journey we share together.
One theory about those in heaven is that their only wish for us is to find our joy. I picture David encouraging me to find joy again and I sometimes feel him nudging me along the way. Although finding joy is not always easy, I know for me and for those I will guide the direct route to more joy is by Living and Loving Authentically. There is such freedom in authenticity which is why I feel so strongly about it.
My plan is to continue to send you valuable content on a weekly basis and create opportunities for you to share with others through my growing blog. And for those of you who would like to work with me privately and take their life and/or love-life to a whole new level of authenticity, I will be taking on up to 6 truly committed clients on a monthly basis. Email me for details. I started coaching again this past March and the clarity and focus I bring to our calls has helped clients make big leaps and changes in their lives.
As for my website, it will continue to evolve and YourDateCoach will slowly be phased out.
Until the next time we connect, I want to share with you a quote I've had posted on my computer for quite sometime, by Everett Ruess:
Always I want to live more intensely and richly. Why muck and conceal one's true longings and loves, when by speaking of them one might find someone to understand them, and by acting on them one might discover oneself.
To your authenticity,
Love, Christine