What a Difference a Day Makes

Less than 24 hours after my last post, my father-in-law was dead. It was a peaceful passing, filled with family and song, so they tell me. At least the pain is over for him, and we can begin the healing.

Sunday we held the memorial service for him. It was very long, but filled with wonderful remembrances of him, his life, and what he meant to us. It ended with the American Legion Color Guard giving a 21 gun salute and the presentation of the colors to my mother-in-law. It honestly felt more like a wedding than a funeral. All in all a very good thing.

Grief is such an odd beast and people feel it and show it in different ways. For me, there is no grieving to be done. My FIL was a wonderful guy, but now he's gone. I'm sad that I will no longer receive calls from Dear Old Dad, as he liked to call himself, I'm sad that his sense of humor won't be around, but I'm not going to grieve his loss. Him being in the pain that he was in caused me to grieve. Now all that I can find in this is a blessed relief and yes, a happiness that he is asleep and knows no more pain.

So, hug your loved ones and gather them around you. Waste no time in doing what you must do to live life to the fullest. One of the best parts of this last year for me was having my FIL talk to me about my weight loss and how he, a blind man, could see that I was being filled with so much more joy in life, even as his was slowly being eked from him. He was so happy that I was getting back to who I was. It amplified my own joy as I found my old self again. I will never forget him and the love he showed me even when I was the new stranger in his youngest son's life.

God speed, Jack! We will miss you. But we'll see you again. Until then!