Death
70 Years
Today was my parent’s 70th wedding anniversary. When my mother gets up in the morning, it usually takes her some time to figure out what day it is. This morning she knew. Of course she was sad that my dad wasn’t here to celebrate with her. I asked if there was anything in particular she […]
The Headstone
My dad was buried in a National Cemetery. This afternoon my sister, mom, and I went out to put some flowers at his site for Easter. It was nice to see the headstone that was put in place last week. But at the same time, it made his death more real, more permanent. I thought […]
In Labor
In my bible class tonight, my teacher talked about the awesome experience he had being able to witness the birth of 5 of the 6 of his children. He said there was nothing like seeing his wife in labor and all the suffering that accompanied it. At the final push, he could see the tremendous […]
Look Up
We have a bookmark that has “Advice from the moon”. When slmy mom put it in her book tonight, she read one appropriate statement, “Be someone to look up to.” It was good advice that reminded me of my dad. First, because he loved anything and everything to do with space. My sister recently signed […]
Wind Chimes
My mom and I stopped and checked the mail on our way home from Mass tonight. It included a package from some friends. They sent a beautiful card and my mom and I wept as we read the beautiful sentiments. The card was attached to a box that contained a beautiful set of wind chimes. […]
So Blessed
Today I talked with a friend whose father passed away a year ago. We shared stories, experiences, and emotions. As I thought about our conversation, I realized how many friends I have that have lost a parent just in the last year. It’s a lot. I mean there seems to be a lot of people […]
Setting My Mind Aright
I have been replaying the events of the last few weeks over and over in my head. I wonder if I could have and/or should have done something different to affect the outcome. I try to remember that I did the best I could and that God is God and I am not. Today I […]
At the Cemetery
The cold wind the day of the funeral blew in ice and snow for the next day. However, the following afternoon was mild and sunny with a clear blue sky, so we decided to make a trip out to the cemetery. After the military honors the other day, the military cemetery performed the burial in […]
Dad’s Funeral
Preparing for almost 2 weeks seemed like an agonizing wait. Then suddenly, the day came for dad’s funeral. The visitation the night before was a small gathering of good friends. Among them were my sister’s best friend from high school and some close friends of mine who also came from out of town. It was […]
Waiting and Preparing
After my dad’s death, there was almost 2 weeks before his funeral. During that time, my brothers, sister, nephew and his wife spent the majority of time at the house with me and my mom. My sons, daughter in law and grandkids stopped by from time to time, and we video chatted with my sister […]
Still Finding God 