Yes, our Christmas is scheduled for this weekend.
Our Christmas, which was tragically interrupted by the death of my brother on December 23rd is scheduled to happen…
And so we will gather as a family this weekend at my parents home….
There is a sense of anticipation and a feeling of dread in my heart…
I am eager and I am anxious…
I feel more hopeful than what I did 7 weeks ago and I still feel so very sad in some places in my heart…
There will be so much life in the presence of each one who is there and there will be one life that will be so deeply missed..
There will be laughter and there will be tears…
There will be conversations of days ahead and what the future holds and there will be conversations of days past that hold beautiful memories before our loss….
It will be good to be with my family and it is new space for us….
In all of the unknown of what we each bring, I do know we will bring many hugs, words of comfort and hope and laughter and love….
I am thankful for each family member….
My family of origin…(Dad, Mom, Len, Nick, Arlene, Suzi and Aunt Dot)
those who joined in through marriage…(Marcia, Jonna, Dan and Andy and soon to include Matt)
those who joined in through birth (Olivia, Noah, Andrew, Ryan, Janneke, Henry, Anneliese, Karolyn and Ellie, Peter, Isaiah and Johanna)
those who joined in through adoption…(Sonta and Jean Marc)
So thankful that even if Len is not physically with us any longer, he holds a place in each of our hearts forever and always!
I am thankful for a family who grieves together…
I am thankful for a family who journeys together….
I am thankful for a family who believes together….
I am thankful….
I had wondered when you were getting together. We will be thinking of you. Our children are all coming home in the afternoon and we’ll have dinner together, because it is five years ago to the day that Uncle Jack passed away on the Sunday morning. And we will certainly remember all of you. Love to everyone! Aunt Marg.