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| Photo: Ansel Adams |
I'm sort of dreading the reunions that the new school year brings. No offense to anyone, and I'm sure I will be guilty of asking it myself, but I'm not especially looking forward to the barrage of "How was your summer? What did you do? Where did you go?"
Even though I have had a delightful summer in many respects, the answer that echoes in the back of my mind is, "I went into the Alaskan wilderness to spread my dad's ashes." I guess that's a tad better than last summer's "My dad just passed away." But not by much. The trip was meaningful, beautiful, memorable, breathtaking, and more; it felt very satisfying to fulfill my dad's wish that we would venture together as a family to enjoy the natural beauty he so appreciated, but still, when it all boils down, we were brought there by a very sad reality.
Yesterday was the year anniversary of my dad's death. My mom, sister, brother, and I got together to share dinner, and most of all, share time together. A certain three-year-old's antics kept the conversation light and amused us, but I know we were all constantly aware of the anniversary and thinking of our lives a year ago today. But really, not a day goes by that I don't think about my dad and the indelible mark he left on all of our lives. And then I can't help but whistle the tune to one of his favorite songs... "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life"
2 comments:
We'll see if I can comment here from work.
I know no one's experiences are directly comparable, but after my mom died, things felt different (i.e. better) after the one year mark had passed. It's such a process, an adjustment of course, this getting used to the hole that's there that cannot be filled, just have the edges rubbed smooth (OK, that's kind of icky, but still). What I'm trying to say is that you don't have to sugar-coat the process; it's supposed to feel like a loss. But time does make it better.
I hope your transition back to teacher is a smooth one! :-)
I'm sorry Kendra. It seems sometimes that the Anniversaries are just as hard.
I'll keep you and your family in our prayers.
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