I didn’t see them coming.
Sitting across the table from me, sipping a Diet Coke°° as he proudly showed me pictures of his children.
When she came to my house with a box of tissues, laid down beside me, and said, “tell me about him.”
The one who looked deep into my eyes and reminded me that I didn’t bury my heart when I buried my husband.
The one who came before me and truly understood my sorrow.
I never saw them coming.
But they came. So many, and each at the perfect time.
To comfort, love, serve. To lend an ear, a shoulder. To listen with an open heart. To understand that to know about me is to know about him. And to remind me of me.
When the dark clouds close in, and it becomes difficult to see, they’ve been my eyes. They’ve been my hands when I couldn’t reach past my own grief. They’ve been my feet when I couldn’t get out of bed.
They’ve reminded me that every deterrent I see in me, is in fact, the opposite exactly.
But perhaps most importantly, they’ve taught me how to walk beside someone in grief. And one day, if I am lucky enough, I’ll be the one bringing the tissues, saying “tell me more about her,” and listening with an open, welcoming heart. 💙
°°Nevermind the gentle demeanor, sweet words, kind heart, and pure spirit. He drinks Diet Coke and that alone makes him awesome. 😉
#laughterafterdeath #lookingintherearviewmirror #wanderingwidow #itsme #lifebeginsnow