Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of Judy's death. In the week leading up to February 21, I encountered several bouts of extreme sadness. As mentioned in an earlier blog, the feelings of sadness/grief are insidious and uninvited. I was going to say the feelings are random, but they do creep up when the 21st of any month approaches. Of course, the 21st of February came with greater significance.
What can you do? Well, the best I can do is anticipate there will be bouts of sadness and the best response is to pray for the peace that surpasses human understanding.
I took Haley and Judy's sister, Audrey, for lunch yesterday. We had a time of remembrance and support. Mary is in Houston with a good friend this week and her thoughtful friend made the day a special time of remembrance with Mary. After lunch, Haley and I took my two grand dogs for a walk out the acreage. We had a wonderful chat. I continue to be amazed by the courage, wisdom, and strength my daughters have shown in the last year and in the years of supporting their mom leading up to her death.
So there you have it. The year of firsts has drawn to a close and so begins a year of seconds. People who have walked this path before tell me the grief never ends, but overall, the intensity lessens in time.
It has been quite a year. I pray to God that 2017 will be a better year for everyone. Over the last year, there have been the saddest days of my life and the most intense feelings of loss, but I live in hope that our hearts will heal and we will serve Judy with the greatest honour, a life well lived with hope, love, forgiveness, faith, and a positive attitude.
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