The Season begins each year in March. March 11 is my mother Vivian’s birthday. She died at age 45, unwell the entire time I knew her.
That is also the day on which my husband Gary died. We had grieved together….his terminal illness, of course, but also through the years his loss that he had never known my mother.
Compounded by my brother Frank’s own grief a few days after Gary’s death with the loss of my precious niece Lauren, the Season of darkness continues into April.
Spring, with its memories of first loves, and proms, and joy, and the promises of “school’s out”, and summer jobs, and the hard reality at the end of May of unfulfilled potential and young lives cut short.
The Season reaches its darkest day on May 28, the anniversary of my younger son Travis’s death.
But I know the Light is coming… And now, it is June 3, my father’s birthday. The Season closes.
The darkness lifts. Tomorrow is a new season and there is Light.
I just looked through our photos from June 2019 (thanks Google Photos). 5 years ago feels like a different life. However, I am struck by how clearly I can see our kids’ personalities through the photos. It’s like we couldn’t yet fully see it then but now it’s clear as day. I wonder what we’ll see 5 years from now?
I wrote this late Monday evening.
The Season
Tonight the Season comes to a close.
The Season begins each year in March. March 11 is my mother Vivian’s birthday. She died at age 45, unwell the entire time I knew her.
That is also the day on which my husband Gary died. We had grieved together….his terminal illness, of course, but also through the years his loss that he had never known my mother.
Compounded by my brother Frank’s own grief a few days after Gary’s death with the loss of my precious niece Lauren, the Season of darkness continues into April.
Spring, with its memories of first loves, and proms, and joy, and the promises of “school’s out”, and summer jobs, and the hard reality at the end of May of unfulfilled potential and young lives cut short.
The Season reaches its darkest day on May 28, the anniversary of my younger son Travis’s death.
But I know the Light is coming… And now, it is June 3, my father’s birthday. The Season closes.
The darkness lifts. Tomorrow is a new season and there is Light.
This is beautiful - and a very sacred season. Thank you for sharing your words, I'm holding you close.
I just looked through our photos from June 2019 (thanks Google Photos). 5 years ago feels like a different life. However, I am struck by how clearly I can see our kids’ personalities through the photos. It’s like we couldn’t yet fully see it then but now it’s clear as day. I wonder what we’ll see 5 years from now?