The reality that struck me, struck me hard, when my son died was how many many people I know who have lost a child. It’s not that I didn’t know these people, family and friends and even strangers, had suffered as I was, but that I was so clueless. I hadn’t known anything.
Now it’s been six years since I got the early morning phone call that my son was gone and I wish I had some wisdom to share or some comforting words or something clever to write. I don’t. This past year was the worst…but, of course, it wasn’t. There’s no way to compare one year to the another because there’s always the surprising realization that it’s so real.
I’m not sitting around in mourning black or locking myself away and I have fun just about every day of my life and I’m eternally grateful for each and every beautiful moment I get to share with my family and friends. My sense of adventure is alive and I treasure my moments alone to read or enjoy the world around me.
How to describe it? It’s a part of who I am now, implanted on who I was, but it’s not the worst part or the saddest part. It’s a strength that came from losing a child, the strength that pushes me every day to make sure that my children and grandchildren understand the value of each other in their lives and the strength that this gives them to withstand whatever is next, whatever life will throw at us next, because it will.
I feel him in my heart and all around me more than ever. What is that? I just know that it’s true and comforting and yet I miss him all the time. It’s ok…well, maybe not so ok sometimes. It’s what it is and will be and that’s the way it’s meant to be.
The truth is that I see a picture of him or a recording of his voice and it’s sometimes real and sometimes seems to be some strange unreality. I see his daughter and catch something that smacks of his personality or see a familiar expression on her face and that’s nice. He would get such a kick out of her. Or he does get a kick out of her. What do I know?
I know that I had a son I loved and continue to love and he loved me and continues to love me. I know that in my heart and soul.
Confetti Thoughts 
I don’t know what to say! Sending you hugs Karen. Your post put a smile on my heart. I lost a son as well, four years ago. Happy to meet you here 🙂
Thank you! I’m sorry to hear about your son. It just never gets better, does it? A friend told me when my husband died that it never gets better, just more bearable. I really appreciate your writing to me. Happy Mother’s Day!
Happy Mother’s too!I don’t know if it is getting better, I just knew that I had to live with it. Somewhere I read, it was like when one loses a limb, you cannot have it back so you had to learn to live without it.I always paint a picture of him smiling, it helps me gets through. Very happy to meet you here 🙂
Me too! Write any time!