Why is now the best time to express love? Because you don’t know how long you will have the opportunity. Circumstances change. People die. Children grow up. You have no guarantee of tomorrow. If you want to express love, you had better do it now. –The Purpose Driven Life
I received a proclamation from the City of Lino Lakes stating that every September 12th in their town is declared Shawn Silvera Day. This year to honor my husband the city is dedicating a rock sculpture created by artist Peter Maraliis in the new town center greens area.
The sculptor has taken five large boulders and designed them to represent the loss of Shawn’s life with one of the boulders intricately split down the center. Meant to be touched, he has polished another boulder into a bench for people to use as a place of reflection. His vision is that people of all ages will take the symbolism from the artwork to mean something singly significant to them. It is his hope that the memorial will move people to remember the beauty of what was lost while making something beautiful with their own precious lives. Engraved in the stone are words special to both Shawn and I: “Don’t Wait For Tomorrow! Be Here Now.”
I am deeply honored by the insight and kindness of both the sculptor and City Council of Lino Lakes to pay tribute to Shawn in such a life-breathing way. It is a detailed expression of love, reaching out to the larger community. It reminds each of us to share ourselves now. I don’t believe we can ever be reminded enough.
