Life...

Okay, how does one start off a blog? It's been a rough few months for me. First, my mother unexpected passes away soon after her birthday in the early part of July and I miss making it back to Philadelphia in time. Then, less than four months later, my father passes away. Fortunately, I was able to make it back for a couple of days before he passed and he knew I was back. Nevertheless, it's been an overwhelming emotional time. Now, the holidays approach and I am realizing that it's the beginning of a year of "firsts" as Life somehow continues on. I understand now why people used to mourn for an entire year. The prospect of all the "firsts" that lay ahead of me is, to say the very least, daunting. Somehow, I'm sure that I will survive and move on. The sadness, pain, and grief will never go away -- I will only get used to it. Now, it is just my sister Jean and me left of our immediate family. I couldn't be more lucky in the fact that she and I are, admittedly, unusually close. We have each other and that will have to be what our family is now. Thank Goodness for the fact that we have such wonderful. loving partners and are blessed with such an exceptional extended family on all sides. Mother and Dad shall always be missed, but I know that they shall always be with Jean and me, too, forever. The depth of the pain is equal to the depth of the love and somehow there is some odd comfort in that. I know that they would never want me to be as sad as I am now, but it's hard not to be filled with so much grief. They are loved forever and shall always be missed and shall always be a part of my life.