My Dad is Dead
Living without a dad is hard. Sometimes I forget just how hard it is for my children. It has been almost 5 years, and each child has handled the death of their dad in a different way. They have done so beautifully, and I stand in awe of their great capacity for love, empathy, faith, and courage in the face of their difficulties.
They absolutely love their daddy! And he absolutely loves them SO much!
As a family, we have all experienced the great ebbing and flowing of grief and sorrow, along with joy and gladness! We do not live in a state of grief, we try to live in a state of gratitude; but sometimes there are grief-triggers that show up unexpectedly. Sometimes grief-triggers knock on the doors of our hearts, and we let them in to visit for awhile.
Last night, I came across an emotional trigger. As I was cleaning, I came across a notebook and opened it to some random thoughts that Sammi had written down last year, on April 1st, the 4 year anniversary of the day he died. It was an unexpected, yet eye-opening discovery...
Tears fell, as I felt the depth of Sammi's sweet feelings for her dad. These children have dealt with some hard stuff. They are so brave. So very brave, and courageous! Oh how I love my family! They are living life in a unique and challenging way, and they are beautiful examples to me, and I am grateful!
One day Charles will walk through "the door," and we will all see him again.
What a day that will be!
Tears ran down my face while I read this post, so heartbreaking! Such heartbreak all of you have had to go through and still go through on a daily basis. It is crazy to look at how much your kids have grown in those pictures. May you find peace and comfort in this challenging life. My prayers and thoughts are with you and your sweet family!
ReplyDeleteIt always hurts............always.
ReplyDeleteMilz xx
Oh, Mari! My heart is full and my eyes are tear-filled at this post. You and your children are so amazing and strong and REAL. Thank you for sharing. Thank you for sharing your faith and your grief. I love you.
ReplyDelete😢. Death dates are so hard. I like to call them their Heaven dates instead, but it's still hard. This year my brother's Heaven date lands on Father's Day. I have unexpectedly grieved more because of the significance there, even though it has now been... 23 years!, especially thinking of my dad. But then yesterday was the actual date and the grief was not so present. So, sometimes I unexpectedly Don't have grief. I can only imagine what Father's Day is like for your children!
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