I love you, Uncle Lynn. I know you are no longer in pain and your memory will keep us going. But, saying goodbye is never easy.
“Everyone must leave something behind when he dies, my grandfather said. A child or a book or a painting or a house or a wall build or a pair of shoes made. Or a garden planted. Something your hand touched some way so your soul has somewhere to go when you die, and when people look at that tree or that flower you planted, you’re there.”
-Ray Bradbury Fahrenheit 451
Today one of my beloved uncles is being put to rest. During his time on this planet, he touched the lives of so many people. He left behind so much knowledge, compassion, and love. I couldn’t be there in person to celebrate the life he had, but as I sit here I know that he’s okay and he's watching over us. And luckily, his brother, my dad, is waiting for him. They get to catch up.
It’s hard losing someone and that lose isn’t just one day and you’re better. Or you can’t put a cast on it and in a few weeks or months, everything is better. That’s not how grief works. It comes in waves; it comes in sprinkles. It can catch up to you years after the fact with a song on the radio. Grief never ends. It cycles. You just have to learn how to deal with it as it comes. Time doesn't heal all wounds. It doesn't heal the hole in your heart where that person used to be. But, you learn. You learn to take it day by day and moment by moment.
So, for today, I’m just going to think about the wonderful men watching over me and know there is no pain for them. They are happy and together.