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| Photo courtesy of Free Artistic Photos |
"Grief is not a disorder, a disease or a sign of weakness. It is an emotional, physical, and spiritual necessity, the price you pay for love. The only cure for grief is to grieve." - Earl Grollman
Today is the one year anniversary of my father's passing. I miss him every day. But this month, there are so many reasons why his absence will be more deeply felt: birthdays only two days apart that we always celebrated together, Christmas mornings at his house, and the New Years Day gathering that he always hosted before he got sick.
As I grieve this year, I am painfully aware of all of those who grieve the unbelievable tragedy in Connecticut - so many beautiful lives cut short. And I am thankful for every year, every day I had with my father. I treasure the memories that I have and the opportunity to be with family, share stories, and feel his presence in the impression he left on all of us.
"What we have once enjoyed deeply we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us." - Helen Keller
This year, is the first Christmas since our oldest daughter bought her own house. She has been working hard to make it a home and she will be following her grandfather's tradition, taking over the New Year's Day celebration. There will be new memories made and an abundance of blessings to be counted. My hope is that each time I feel the prick of grief anew in my own heart, it will be a reminder for me to lift up in prayer the families of those lost at Sandy Hook
"She was no longer wrestling with the grief, but could sit down with it as a lasting companion and make it a sharer in her thoughts." - George Eliot
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| Photo courtesy of Free Artistic Photos |
Wishing you all a blessed holiday and a happy new year!
