Farewell

I recently said goodbye to two very special men whom I called “Dad”–my father -in- law and my father.

Having this back-to-back experience has been rather like a treadmill because once I was on it, I could not step off.

Hard to describe what these two men meant to me. Their love, their guidance, their wisdom, their presence in my life for decades now presents a dilemma…all that they gave to me has to be stored in my memory bank and in my heart. Finding room for all that love and wisdom will be on my TO DO list today and in days to come.

Saying goodbye can be so daunting. How long should the goodbye be? What should be said? This is true even when you say goodbye to someone you fully expect to see in the future. It may be more poignant when you may not see that special someone for a span of time, but it is really unique when it is someone you say goodbye to knowing you will not have their presence on earth, in day-to-day life, at holiday time, on the phone and so on and so on.

They were two remarkable men, each in his own right. Their lifestyles may not have dovetailed but their life goals and values did. They were each so different due to life circumstances and experiences, yet in the big picture they were still both loving fathers to me. They were friends to each other. They were special to many.

In God’s presence now, they are in glory.

Here on earth, I am rearranging my life to fill in the void.

Some tasks do not come easily, and I will be accepting of that with God, my Heavenly Father guiding me.