This will be the first birthday for my dad since his death. He would have been 84. We’ve gone through other firsts. First Father’s Day. First Christmas. The firsts are awful. There isn’t a guarantee they get better. This just first.
Tag Archives: Grief
The ones not with us
We remember the ones not with us in times and seasons like these. This will be my first Christmas without my dad. He passed away in May of this year. Those firsts are such a mixture for me. The first Father’s Day without him. Mom’s first birthday without him. This Christmas.
The gift of grief
It’s the time of year in my Facebook memory feed where I see pictures from our oldest son’s wedding as they approach an anniversary. I had made the trip from Minnesota by driving to Kansas to get my parents and then go on to Alabama. So in the midst of the wedding pictures are theContinue reading “The gift of grief”
The long road of grief
As I reflect on the “last third” of my life, I also reflect on dying well. There are those we leave behind, and the grief to walk through is deep and long lasting. When I was in my 20s I served as a part time chaplain for hospice care. I came home most nights talkingContinue reading “The long road of grief”
Father’s Day without Dad
His is my first Father’s Day without Dad. It’s been a little over for weeks since his passing. Grief comes and goes. In and out like the tide. No phone call to him. No joking around. No smile to look at, but I do remember.
Good grief
With my dad passing I have known grief would be my companion for a good while. Even before his passing I had a sense of grief’s presence. Still, I am not good at grief. I work to embrace this walk, but I stumble a lot.
Prayers in my grief
Most loving Father, you will us to give thanks for all things, to dread nothing but the loss of you, and to cast all our care on the One who cares for us. Preserve us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, and grant that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us theContinue reading “Prayers in my grief”
More songs in my grief
Some songs have meaning in my heart. Some songs just remind me of Dad’s faith.
Songs in my grief
A few weeks ago there was a song that was sung in a prayer service as our diocese prepared to elect a new bishop. It was new so it was hard to follow and sing. I knew it was probably a newer one from another source so I looked it up. It’s a beautiful songContinue reading “Songs in my grief”
Apprentice 2 Jesus 