a delayed goodbye
grief, memories, healing, peace
necessary steps

Our brother-in-law….my kids’ uncle….my sister-in-law’s husband, passed away during covid. Like many others, his memorial occurred over one year afterward. It was a beautiful, clear and sunny day. Last Saturday I found myself keenly tuned in to his pastor’s thoughtful and beautiful tribute, the memories his family shared, and most importantly my brother-in-law’s appreciation of us as shared by his minister. I talked to a few of his family members who I’d not known before which added another dimension to his eventful life. Throughout this time we’d set aside to pay tribute to Ron, I became aware that the distance between the event of his passing and this day was allowing me to be completely present to hear, absorb, and appreciate the magnitude of his impact on others. The ability to experience this day and not be entrenched in raw grief was a gift. A gift that no one would expect from the pandemic.

my wish for any and all of you who found yourselves in a similar situation as mine will, or did, have this same, unexpected gift come to you. I’ll remember this day always.