Nine Months, and Counting
It is nine months today since you breathed your last breath. Nine months, and I still grieve your death.
I miss you. I miss your smile, I miss your laugh, I miss your hugs - I miss you.
Why is it getting harder? I go about my days, my weeks, and life goes on; and yet, there is an emptiness that I cannot deny. There are snippets of joy, moments when a genuine smile appears on my face - but it is only temporary. My life is gray. Everything 'just is'.
This morning I awoke and my thoughts are of you. I remember the day you came home. We were celebrating your homecoming, joyful you were back where you wanted to be. We had 'welcome home' balloons, and many of your loved ones were there to greet you. We went down to meet the ambulance and we walked alongside the gurney; we settled you and made sure you were comfy. All this, knowing you had come home to die. And that thought is what I cannot escape today. You came home to die.
What a blessing to have those days to say goodbye. But it wasn't enough. I would give anything to have you here again, to kiss you, to hear you call me 'Poopsie', to hear you say 'give Terry a tweak for me'. How I would love to call home and have you answer the phone, only to hear 'dammit', and the phone go dead b/c you hit the wrong button! I'm thinking of the upcoming months - your birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Those days were so special to you, and you loved to have your family gathered around. How will it be this year? We'll be scattered and apart, and you won't be here. I know going back to Maryland this Christmas won't happen...the memories of your last weeks will be too hard and we'll all be processing things in our own way.
I know you are in a better place. But selfishly I want you here. I want to cry in your arms and feel the comfort that only you can give. Nine months and counting, Daddy...
I miss you. I miss your smile, I miss your laugh, I miss your hugs - I miss you.
Why is it getting harder? I go about my days, my weeks, and life goes on; and yet, there is an emptiness that I cannot deny. There are snippets of joy, moments when a genuine smile appears on my face - but it is only temporary. My life is gray. Everything 'just is'.
This morning I awoke and my thoughts are of you. I remember the day you came home. We were celebrating your homecoming, joyful you were back where you wanted to be. We had 'welcome home' balloons, and many of your loved ones were there to greet you. We went down to meet the ambulance and we walked alongside the gurney; we settled you and made sure you were comfy. All this, knowing you had come home to die. And that thought is what I cannot escape today. You came home to die.
What a blessing to have those days to say goodbye. But it wasn't enough. I would give anything to have you here again, to kiss you, to hear you call me 'Poopsie', to hear you say 'give Terry a tweak for me'. How I would love to call home and have you answer the phone, only to hear 'dammit', and the phone go dead b/c you hit the wrong button! I'm thinking of the upcoming months - your birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Those days were so special to you, and you loved to have your family gathered around. How will it be this year? We'll be scattered and apart, and you won't be here. I know going back to Maryland this Christmas won't happen...the memories of your last weeks will be too hard and we'll all be processing things in our own way.
I know you are in a better place. But selfishly I want you here. I want to cry in your arms and feel the comfort that only you can give. Nine months and counting, Daddy...
O sweet beautiful Kristina ~ this journey through grief of loosing so precious a loved one is never easy. My heart aches for you yet I know you do not journey alone ~ Your Savior walks by your side treasureing every tear,knowing the depth of your pain, your loss and knowing that He has defeated this, our greatest and hardest enemy ~ death ~ and has a glorious end to all this pain and longing ~ His eternal Kingdom! St. Thomas Moore said "earth hath no pain that heaven cannot heal". May the Holy Spirit, our comforter wrap you in God's Love this very moment, a Father's Love ~ the sorrow you feel is only a brief shadown of the JOY when you see your dad again face to face in the perfected glory God created your dad to be. You continue to be covered in our prayers. Thanks for sharing so transparently & vulunerably. LIsten to Amy Grant's song "Better than a Lullabye" and know how much God delights in this honest prayer of a broken heart. When my dad died 20 years ago your dad's hugs were the tangible "father's love" that conforted my heart ~ every time I saw him. I pray that the Lord sends a Father Hug to you and you'll know it's from Him.
ReplyDeleteYour words dear Kristina are so beautiful
ReplyDeleteand emotional. My heart aches so----