after a disappointing dance class last weekend where my teacher appeared intoxicated, i checked my phone and got the news about philip seymour hoffman. it was a day of substance abuse sadness. 

as the story of the late actor has unfolded, i’ve been drawn to each new detail with strong curiosity. what does heroin do exactly? what does it look like? how does one die from it? i’m not typically so affected by what goes on with hollywood stars {ok, truth be told, the break-up of brad pitt and jennifer aniston did leave me a bit sad}, but this story has had an impact. as we know, he wasn’t your average hollywood star. he seemed so real. so fragile. so boy next door.

he grew up in the same suburb of rochester as le beau {who did a post last night and independently chose the same aaron sorkin piece to reference} so we always enjoyed watching his performances where le beau would proudly share yet again, “hey, we’re from the same high school!” 

the loss of someone to the disease of addiction makes my heart hurt. it feels so senseless and preventable, yet it isn’t that simple. i know that and you may know that. while i’m blessed to have not been surrounded by addiction within my family unit, i’ve watched it destroy lives from the periphery. and sunday’s loss is no exception.

losing anyone of great talent at the young age of 46 brings up my own issues of mortality. which takes me down the legacy road. he left a legacy of his life’s work in film. three children. and i’m sure much more. if i were to die tomorrow, i’d like to know that i, too, left behind a legacy. we all do. and the good news is that we’ve all created something that didn’t exist before we were here on this earth. 

the power lies in connecting with that something and bringing it to life. day in. day out. it may be a family. a garden patch. a kindergarten class. a business. an animal sanctuary. or a series of films. 

what is your legacy? how will you leave this world a better place because you were here? this is a question that comes up for me regularly and feels heavy on my heart at this time. ah, legacy and loss. bisous. x