They say that when you lose someone, it almost gets harder after the 1st month.
I totally believe that.
The shock has finally worn off and the realization that you have to go on without your loved one has finally sunk in.
{And it totally sucks}
I woke up on July 27th with a full realization that it was the 1 month mark of my dad's death. I'd been dreading it for quite a while, to be honest, and although my emotions ran high the entire day and I found myself blubbering in public more than once, it turned out to be a pretty decent day sharing music and memories with my family.
First thing in the morning, a couple of my sisters and I went down to the cemetery. My dad loved to hear his children sing so they brought their guitars (called, GEE-tars, in the Kocherhans household).
It was lovely sitting there in the sunshine, enjoying the harmony of their voices.
In the evening when the day had cooled off a bit, we met back at the cemetery to reminisce about my dad and lay some flowers. The kids had a hard time agreeing on a color until we found these happy little daisies. I think my dad would've liked them.
London sure did
(Have I mentioned my dad was in a band called London Bridge? They were signed by Capitol Records and were featured in several magazines back in the day. It's fun that my little London carries a reminder of her grandfather with her in her name)
My mom read some of the sweet cards sent from friends and family that night. Those kind words were so welcome and so wonderful to hear. It was totally amazing to me, the amount of outreach extended to us during this difficult time. Friends, ward members, even distant acquaintances, went out of their way to extend their sympathies and offer a helping hand. We received meals, flowers, journals, money, cards, bread. We even had a friend (college aged guy) bring over a bunch of paper goods knowing that we have a gigantic family and we'd be going through a lot of dishes! How thoughtful is that??
The world is full of such wonderful, charitable people and I need to be better at being one. I've never known what to say to others when they are in these types of situations. I don't want to bother them so often, I don't say or do anything at all. I know there's a whole lot to learn in my dad's passing, but the very 1st thing I will remember is to put away my insecurities and reach out to others who may be hurting or struggling in one way or another.
I totally believe that.
The shock has finally worn off and the realization that you have to go on without your loved one has finally sunk in.
{And it totally sucks}
I woke up on July 27th with a full realization that it was the 1 month mark of my dad's death. I'd been dreading it for quite a while, to be honest, and although my emotions ran high the entire day and I found myself blubbering in public more than once, it turned out to be a pretty decent day sharing music and memories with my family.
First thing in the morning, a couple of my sisters and I went down to the cemetery. My dad loved to hear his children sing so they brought their guitars (called, GEE-tars, in the Kocherhans household).
It was lovely sitting there in the sunshine, enjoying the harmony of their voices.
In the evening when the day had cooled off a bit, we met back at the cemetery to reminisce about my dad and lay some flowers. The kids had a hard time agreeing on a color until we found these happy little daisies. I think my dad would've liked them.
London sure did(Have I mentioned my dad was in a band called London Bridge? They were signed by Capitol Records and were featured in several magazines back in the day. It's fun that my little London carries a reminder of her grandfather with her in her name)
My mom read some of the sweet cards sent from friends and family that night. Those kind words were so welcome and so wonderful to hear. It was totally amazing to me, the amount of outreach extended to us during this difficult time. Friends, ward members, even distant acquaintances, went out of their way to extend their sympathies and offer a helping hand. We received meals, flowers, journals, money, cards, bread. We even had a friend (college aged guy) bring over a bunch of paper goods knowing that we have a gigantic family and we'd be going through a lot of dishes! How thoughtful is that?? The world is full of such wonderful, charitable people and I need to be better at being one. I've never known what to say to others when they are in these types of situations. I don't want to bother them so often, I don't say or do anything at all. I know there's a whole lot to learn in my dad's passing, but the very 1st thing I will remember is to put away my insecurities and reach out to others who may be hurting or struggling in one way or another.
Thank you to all my dear friends for your prayers, your thoughts, your phone calls and your kind words. I love you all dearly and am so thankful to be surrounded by such wonderful people.
Wow! When did I get so wordy?
No comments:
Post a Comment