What I've Learned

 I’ve learned a lot this past year. From July to July—yes, life-changing things. 

I’ve learned that you never heal from the death of a loved one. You learn to live with the grief. It walks by your side, everywhere. 

I’ve learned that crying every day is hard, stressful, and tiring.

I’ve learned that I hide my emotions now in public so as not to upset my friends.

I’ve learned not to talk about it for fear of breaking down and crying.

I’ve learned to fake a smile; it’s not as hard as you think.

I’ve learned to say that I am fine, thank you.

I’ve learned that the first thing I remember each morning is that my grandson has died.

I’ve learned that I feel hollow inside. 

I’ve learned that not everyone cares.

I’ve learned that some care a lot. 

I’ve learned that all day, every day, I think of him.

I’ve learned that 90% of the time, I am sad.

I’ve learned that to still my sadness, I must keep extremely busy.

I’ve learned that business calms me, while it makes others nervous.

I’ve learned that I talk to God throughout the day more often now, and that must mean what it means to “pray without ceasing.” 

I’ve learned that keeping my mind busy is very important. 

I’ve learned that TV, reading, and projects must now dominate my life.

I’ve learned that sleep is my only rest.

I’ve learned that writing about it helps.

I’ve learned that I now live in a constant state of fear of losing someone I love, because now it is real. 

I’ve learned to buy boxes of tissues in packs of 4. It’s cheaper.

I’ve learned to plan away each day, so that I don’t drown in sorrow.

I’ve learned that it’s essential to walk through each stage of grief and embrace it full on.

I’ve learned not to isolate—friends are essential.

I’ve also learned the importance of family. I’ve leaned into some and moved away from others, depending on the nature of the relationship. 

And I’ve learned that sharing is crucial, because somewhere out there is someone else in pain, grieving deeply, barely holding onto God each day. Please know—I am here for you, I will pray for you, and I hope, in some small way, to encourage you to keep getting up each day. Face the hard truths of life, don’t give up. Be there for another person. Be caring, thoughtful, a listener, and a friend. 

These are just a few of the things I’ve learned about myself this past year. I hope that next year will be easier; however, I somehow don't feel optimistic about it. Does that sound pessimistic? Probably. I am being honest, though, which is why I am writing this. To be real. And to share with you what I’ve learned.

Life is hard right now. Very hard. That's what I've learned about it anyway. 

Bye-Bye, Fiona

It was time. We both felt it. Here’s our story.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic began, my husband and I decided to purchase a small travel trailer for some enjoyable camping trips. Camping here in the Midwest, though, is quite different from our time in California. We owned two campers while our kids were small. A tiny one that I found and refurbished, then sold to buy a bigger one. We have many wonderful memories of camping in coastal and mountain areas. Warm beach days to cool summer nights by the campfire.

Fast forward to moving to Ohio. Rain, rain, and more rain. We did try tent camping, as we still had lots of equipment. We tried it once. Then gave everything away. No more camping for us!

Until seven years ago, when we bought a super cute little travel trailer called a Vintage Cruiser—new but made to look old —she was the cutest thing ever! I named her Cora. Cora the Cruiser. Torquise appliances, and cute little curtains. What’s not to love? Well, size for one thing. She was a great weekend warrior, but we took her once on a two-week camping trip, and after two weeks and lots of rain, we decided to upgrade. I needed more space!

Along came Fiona. She was amazing. The best floor plan ever. Recliners, fold-out sofa bed, luxury shower, and a very nice master bedroom. We could and did go for a month at a time. For five years, we traveled from Michigan to Quebec. We went down to DC, and everywhere in between. We loved it. We pulled her with a big, beautiful Expedition and had a very comfortable time camping, or, as It Turned Out, Glamping. 

One day, though, things changed. We left for a camping trip, very excited, full of plans. It turned out to be excessively hot (we were under a heat dome), our poor little Fiona could not keep up with the heat index of over 100 degrees, and she became a hot box! So now what do we do? We had our dog with us, and we were hot and grumpy; we couldn’t keep cool, and we weren't having fun! After much discussion, we realized our camping days were coming to an end.

Neither of us wanted to give in to that mindset. Gosh darn it, we were having fun!  Weren’t we?  No, we weren’t. As we talked, we realised we had camped in all the places we wanted to, we had seen the sights, we had done the things. It was time. It's time to admit that we weren't enjoying camping. We (okay, I) wanted to drive a smaller SUV, one that I could park, and also, hotels were looking mighty good. 

So, one morning I put her up for sale and the next—she was sold. And, just like that, we were minus a travel trailer and Fiona was gone. We have so many incredible memories, countless photos, and have had countless fun times with our grandkids. However, our time as campers for now has come to an end. 

Will we ever buy another RV? Perhaps, one day. Not anytime soon, though. For now, we will travel by car or plane, and we will stay in hotels or Bed and Breakfasts. We will cherish our memories and be grateful for our camping days. 

Fiona’s new parents already love her. I’m praying for their future memories…may they be as wonderful as ours. 

While in Portugal

We had two weeks in Portugal. So many things to do, see, and eat! So, we did just that, we did everything! We started our adventure in Lisbon. We stayed in the upscale shopping area (Avenida da Liberdade), in fact a block behind Louis Vuitton, and I was not sorry. Cute little restaurants and cafes surrounded us. And also, all the major shops. We found that in Lisbon, we needed an Uber or Bolt to get around the city. It wasn't nearly as walkable as we thought it would be. So, while in our little neighborhood, we walked, and when we wanted to visit others, we Ubered. 

My favorite thing to do in Lisbon was the tuk-tuk ride. For two hours, we were hauled all over the city center, up and down curvy, tiny streets, and into neighborhoods that we would not have known existed. I loved the old part of Alfama. We stopped and took many photos. Additionally, we made note of the places we wanted to revisit and explore. We looked at pottery and tiles, visited some open-air markets, and enjoyed the small custard tarts. We got espressos, shopped, and had a blast. We heard about a place called the FX Factory, which was incredibly fun, featuring local artisans and fun eateries. I highly recommend it. 

One day, we took an 8-hour tour to the little mountain town of Sintra and visited several castles. All of which were amazing. We had lunch at a charming local spot. On our own, we might not have chosen it, but because of our tour guide, we liked it very much. I wish we had carved out more time for Sintra, though; it was adorable. 

And then, of course, as a big tourist, I had to ride tram 28. Was it worth it? Yes, it was. I never wanted to get off. It was awesome, and navigating the tight little streets was a lot of fun. We actually decided to take a few more tram rides on different trams after that. 

Lisbon offers excellent food, impressive trams, and beautiful tile.

Now on to Porto. I liked Porto better. I liked the vibe, the walkability, and the people. It was just different. 

In Porto, we rented a little apartment in the Bolhao neighborhood. It came with daily cleaning, which we appreciated, and also included a unique feature. It came with a basket breakfast! Each morning, we received a basket full of coffee, juice, protein, bread, and fruit. It was a true highlight for me. I loved it. Like opening a gift each day! What a way to start each morning. 

Porto was a great little city to walk in—lots of shops, cafes, and coffee, as well as tuk-tuks and trams. We took a river boat ride and even a gondola. For me, Porto fits my personality. With the fantastic Livraria Lello bookstore, the chandeliers in McDonald's, the Time Out Market, and everything else, we kept very busy. 

I've had many friends ask me if I'd go again. I would like to see some of the coastal towns. Who knows, maybe one day!

Portugal is a lovely, casual country. They have slippery tile, so wear sneakers! Both Lisbon and Porto have Time-out markets or food halls. Such excellent food! Both have trams, tuk-tuks, great food, and coffee. Also, I have to tell you — look for cork products. Portugal is the world's largest producer of cork. Just make sure that what you buy is made in Portugal. And don't forget actually to touch a cork tree! 

Make sure to be a tourist. After all, you are one! Own it. Ask the questions, do the things, eat the food. It's safe, and the people are super friendly. They love to talk and share their culture and worldviews. We had a wonderful time there and I'm so glad that I took as many pictures as I did. I love reliving those wonderful memories. 

My Near-Death Experience

My cousin sent me a video made by John Burke on near-death experiences. I was on vacation when I received it and forgot about it until my daughter asked me if I had seen it. I said no, and I watched it as soon as I could. It’s funny that as someone who has had a near-death experience herself, I was and still am a skeptic. Oh, how human am I?

I found it riveting and didn’t want it to stop. I wanted to hear more, much more. I could relate in a lot of ways. My experience wasn’t as dramatic as some, but it was extremely real, just the same. 

Here is my story—I was in my 40s and became severely sick. I thought I had the flu—vomiting, diarrhea, and all the regular symptoms that come with it. After five days, I became so sick that I had to crawl to the bathroom; I was too weak to walk. My husband finally insisted that he take me to the emergency room. I guess my three children were in school that day. I hate to admit that I do not remember much. I was that sick.

As we pulled into the parking lot of the hospital, he ran to get a wheelchair, as I was too sick to walk in on my own. While sitting in the waiting room, I became so ill that I slid out of the chair onto the floor and remember feeling so much better, just lying on that cold tile floor. Of course, the staff wasn’t having it. They kept telling me I had to sit in the chair, which I couldn’t. They determined that I was, in fact, very sick, so they got a gurney and took me into a treatment room. The nurse tried to get my blood pressure, she had me sit up, and then she began yelling and pushed the code button, all the while shouting orders. I lay there on that gurney feeling so glad that I finally had someone to take care of me. I guess my blood pressure had dropped to 60/30. 

I was rushed into another room, hooked up to several monitors and IV’s. 

Here’s how I remember things happening. As I was lying in the room, approximately 10 people crowded around me; some were nurses, and some were doctors. All were talking fast and moving fast. In my mind, I was not afraid at all. I wasn’t praying and asking God to take care of my family (which I thought was interesting), I was thanking him for my family, and for everything he had done in my life. I felt so much peace. I rested in his arms and felt great love and comfort. Had I died in that moment, I would not have cared at all. I wouldn’t have been sad because I knew God had complete control. 

And then it happened, I was up above everyone in the room, looking down at my body while they were all working on me. I was separated from myself. I was in a completely different dimension. I could hear everything they said, and I knew all their names. I could even hear the fear in their voices. 

The next thing I remember is waking up in a room with two nurses tending to me. I smiled and said their names. I then told them what had happened and mentioned the names of the others in the room. They called in a couple of the doctors and nurses so I could tell them. I listed the names of those attending me. One doctor was visibly shaken and left the room, returning a while later. The nurse told me I had upset her because I had listed everyone's name. I didn’t mispronounce anyone's name, nor leave anyone out. They were all very amazed and said that they had had a few other patients who had also had near-death experiences. 

That was the first time I had heard that term. Near-death. I asked my doctor—Was I near death? She said, Oh yes, had you waited even another hour to come to the ER, you would not be alive right now. We almost lost you. 

My diagnosis? E Coli. A bacterial infection. Usually not fatal. Mine had turned quite serious, though. I was severely dehydrated, and my kidneys were failing. I am very thankful that my husband was insistent that I go to the ER, and I am also grateful for my near-death experience. I have never, even to this day, experienced such peace and comfort from God. I don’t understand his reason for having me go through that, unless it was to lessen the pain and heartache that I am feeling over the profound loss of my grandson Jack. Grief has its own category. It’s a pain like no other. 

From several spiritual experiences in my life, I know that Jack is with God in heaven. I want to desperately cling to that fact. It’s not a hope for me but a fact. I know that I know he is with God. 

It’s just like God—the way he does things—that my cousin would send me a video, and I would vividly remember my own near-death experience. That’s how he works in my life—quietly and in small doses so that I can absorb and handle each life hurdle. God moments. That’s what I call them. 

Just as the Bible teaches, we see through a glass darkly. I can’t see the future, but he can and does. That’s where my trust has to kick in. It’s not that I won’t feel times of great sadness and loss, but I will also feel times of great joy. I walk with God. I always will, sometimes with my eyes and ears wide open and sometimes with them closed, and asking him to help me and lead, because I can not do this life alone without him. I wouldn’t want to, I would give up. However, with God, wow, what an amazing life! Here on earth and also in heaven. I just need to remember that!

Survival

I am surviving. I have been navigating through grief, learning much, and now have learned to move through grief daily. I think that learning is the hardest for me. Daily, I must choose whom to listen to, myself or God. Do I trust God and rely on him or not? Each morning, I ask myself these questions. Is today a trust day, or is today a grief day? Maybe they are both on the same day. I believe that's true more often than not. 

I have been doing better. I feel my emotions rise, and I can now self-talk them down—most of the time, anyway. I am trying new tools daily. I guess I am surviving as a navigator. I like the sound of that. It isn't as if I have conquered anything. That's for sure. And I wouldn't want to. I want to feel my emotions as they come, take them out, look at them, and then decide. Is now a good time to deal with them, or is now a good time to put them away for a bit? I have the privilege to do that. It is my right to grieve. And I will. 

As I moved through the 5 stages of grief, I have made myself embrace them fully. I accepted them all with open arms. I wanted to feel the pain, the anger, the denial. However, the depression and acceptance were the hardest for me.  I had to accept Jack's death, which I hated to do, and I had to work my way past the depression. It is still painful. The reality of the accident that took his life, the fact that my daughter's life will never be the same, and the reality that I will always be sad. As an optimist and a Christian--that is a hard pill to swallow. 

Also, I sometimes find it hard to reconcile my beliefs with my emotions. Knowledge and feelings collide inside of me. I feel unloved and yet loved by God at the same time. I have so many questions, and he has answered them to some extent. Jack is with God. Selfishly, though, I want him with his family. That's where my trust falters. The Bible tells me to trust God. I did. Jack is now gone. The equation isn't to my liking. Things just don't add up in my brain. Is it going to happen again? Do I now have to live in fear of losing another grandchild or one of my children? This is now my greatest fear. And--I live with it every single day. It is gut-wrenching. 

My daily regime is to pray constantly (I did that before, too) and go through the motions of everyday life: wake up, get ready, go places, and act normal. Wait until late at night and fall apart. Maybe that's the time I fall into God's arms. I ask him to help me get through this time of deep grieving. And, since I am surviving, he may be answering my prayers after all. 

I hope my blogging, concerning my walk through grief, helps someone else out there deal with their own grief. To pray, to let God heal, and to learn to trust again--that's what I am hoping for.  I don't know if I will ever be the same again. I don't know if I want to be. As I grow, I want to grow towards God, not away from him. I trying. I'm surviving. 

He's With Me

I intended to write a blog with a different name—one entitled “Not Yet.” It was all written in my head, every last word. I was looking for some free time but was too busy to sit down and pour my heart out on these pages. As the days went by, something took place. So, “Not Yet” is being put on the back burner for now, and I will share it with you some other time. However, something quite unbelievable happened to me, which is what I will write about.

Seven months have gone by now without my grandson Jack. I miss him every moment of every day. I think of him first thing when I wake up. I then have a horrible thought. Why did I have to wake up, why couldn’t I have just drifted off in death—that is how sad I have been. As I’ve said before, I didn’t just lose a grandson, I have lost my daughter. The one that was always cheerful, laughing, and full of life. Now, she is full of sadness, and it breaks my heart. So, as a mom and grandmother, I am suffering two deaths. And honestly wouldn’t have minded my own. It’s been that hard.

Yesterday was a tough morning for me. I woke up depressed, missing Jack, thinking about having to fake my way through another week of being out and about with friends. I’ve been going to lunches, dinners, book club, playing canasta, etc. I just recently started going back to church and our weekly Bible study. My heart wasn’t there, but my body was. I was going through the motions to make others happy. They don’t worry about you if you fake it until you make it. Right? As far as my friends knew—I was getting better. But, no—I wasn’t. In my heart it feels as though Jack died yesterday. That’s how fresh this pain is. If I shared that with friends though, they’d most likely think—she needs to get over it. She needs to move on. News break—I’ll never get over it. Ever. Well, until yesterday, when everything changed.

Whether you chose to believe me or not, I am going to share what happened to me. It sounds unbelievable. And, I can see how it would sound that way to someone who doesn't believe in God. But, it happened—to me—and it was so very real. I was sitting on the edge of my bed, crying my heart out, blowing my nose, trying to get myself together to leave the bedroom and meet the day with a smile. I have gotten good at that. Smile, act happy, look ok, put make up on, and go! I needed just a few more minutes—I wasn’t praying (I haven’t been doing much of that, I’ve been so angry with God), I was sitting and crying. And then I heard it. I heard God speak to me. Not loudly, and not too softly. Just in a matter of fact voice that penetrated my significantly hardened heart. Not an audible voice. He spoke to my head and heart simultaneously. I heard it as if it were audible though. It was that clear and that real. He said—He’s with me. And then, as though I could see a picture in my mind, I saw God with his arm around Jack's shoulder. They were facing away from me, looking out. Jack was not sad at all, he was very content to stand with his God and enjoy his new life. I knew then that he had no idea of us here on earth, not our grief or sadness, he was only aware of God. And he was happy and content. 

As I sat there in complete amazement, it dawned on me that I was no longer crying and filled with the most euphoric feeling I have ever had. I was happy for the first time in seven months. I know how this sounds. If you were sharing it with me, I’m not sure I’d believe you. 

It’s funny to me that the first thing I wanted to do was run to my computer and blog about it. I did not allow myself that indulgence though. I made myself wait for 24 hours. I wanted to see how long this happiness would last. Just how long would I continue to believe that God had shown me something that miraculous? Would I wake up this morning feeling stupid? Will I be sad again today?  Would I feel differently? So, I made myself wait. 

I am writing and sharing now and telling you how real that experience was, whether you believe me or not. My Jack is happy, and he’s with God. For that reason, I can now be glad, too. 

I don’t pretend to understand the way God works or why certain people live long lives, and some short lives. I don’t have answers. And while I wanted answers before, I don’t need them now. Jack is happy. 

I prayed this morning—I mean, really prayed. I thanked God for everything, and I felt happiness and gratitude. The anger was gone, and believe me, I was in shock. I have not felt that way in months, only sadness and anger. 

It’s gone now, though—especially the anger. I am aware that I might experience some sadness at times, and I am preparing myself for those times. I wonder how sad I can be when he’s with God.

I am looking forward to seeing Jack when God’s timing is right for me to go. Until then, I will serve God, pray, and be joyful again. I will let the excitement build in my heart for that time. Thank you, God, for Jack being with you and for being so happy. Thank you for showing me that and, in turn, making me happy. Thank you for loving me so much and healing my broken heart. And thank you for telling me—he’s with me.

Christmas 2024

This Christmas has been my worst Christmas. It isn’t that I didn’t enjoy my family—I did. I loved being with my children and grandchildren, cooking and baking, shopping for them, wrapping gifts, and everything else. Everything was pretty much picture-perfect. Everyone was there except for one: My grandson Jack was missing this year, which made all the difference. 

It’s interesting to me how the loss of one individual can impact a holiday. The void, however, is what does it—the absence of a loved one. He should have been there. He should have received gifts; he should have eaten the prime rib, the cookies, the fudge, and the leftovers, he should have. And yet, he wasn’t there. And that made all the difference. That is why this Christmas was my worst Christmas. 

My daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter came on a Sunday evening and spent the week with us. Christmas fell on a Wednesday. Everything leading up to that day was torturous for me. Even Christmas Eve with the family all over felt hollow. We smiled, laughed, ate good food, and told stories. Then, when everyone went home, I cried big sobbing tears. I cried hard. I wanted Jack to be there. It felt odd. Everything felt surreal.

Christmas morning, I woke up crying. As hard as it was, I was determined to be brave for my daughter and granddaughter. I was not going to ruin their day. We watched Sophia open gifts from her parents, had coffee and breakfast, and waited for the rest of the gang to arrive. 

I made a prime rib for our afternoon dinner, and we opened gifts while it roasted in the oven. Gifts for us, gifts for them. We did have fun. Our little grandkids can make life pretty great. Afterward, I had one special gift for each grandchild before cleaning up and joining the dining room for dinner. I make a Christmas picture ornament with each grandchild with their cousin Jack. I told them that Jack would always be with us, that we would never forget him and always love him, and that he wouldn’t want us to be sad. Of course, everyone was crying, but I felt they were good tears, healing tears, and tears that acknowledged Jack. I guess I didn’t make going into the dining room very easy. However, we dried our tears and had our meal. However, that seat at the table was where Jack would have sat. Wow, that was hard to deal with; we did it. We dealt with it and made it through. 

After dinner, we went to our son’s house, played games, ate good food, and tried hard to have fun. I will be honest here, though: I had a tough time. I missed Jack so much. I just wanted him to be there. And, frankly, I was glad when the whole day was over. It was our first Christmas without him, which was horrible. 

We still had three more days with our daughter and her family, and I was determined to make them fun. We shopped often, stayed very busy, and tried hard to enjoy those last few days together. 

This will likely be the worst year for us all. We are facing monsters—all the firsts without Jack. However, we are surviving. And I believe we are doing precisely what Jack would want us to do—moving forward with a new normal, living our lives, remembering him, and trying. We are trying. It isn’t easy. So many tears. So much sadness. But we are trying. 

Our worst Christmas is over. We will move forward into a new year with happy memories, many photos, and much love for each other.