It's near impossible to say goodbye.....
Sunday night, the whole family gathered for Father's Day, just as we always did every year. Only thing is that our host was not there. At least not in body. But he certainly was in spirit. It was a day to honor Grandpa and be so grateful for all the Fathers Day's we had celebrated before.
We used the evening to reminisce and go through pictures in preparation for his wake. The tears flowed freely. But so did the stories and the laughter. What else can we do??
After a few hours with family, Ray, Henry, Anna and I arrived home. Drained, but not quite ready for bedtime yet. Henry and Anna asked if they could play outside for awhile, and I was more than happy to oblige. It was a beautiful evening. And I appreciated the chance to just sit on my front porch. Breathe. And watch my dear ones.
Turns out, a rainstorm the night before provided a sweet reprieve from our sadness.....
Henry started with a bike ride through this giant puddle in the front yard.
Then Anna waded through with her rain boots.
But things quickly got a little splashier....
And, as soon as Anna fell, head first in the puddle - -
Well - all bets were off!
I sat on the porch and watched all the fun that yesterday's thunderstorm provided. Squeals of laughter and delight. A chance to forget that our hearts were so heavy.
That water soothed our sadness, even if for just a short time.
(yes, I promise my kids took a good shower after their puddle bath! I figured it couldn't have been any worse than swimming in a lake....right??)
Who knew this little puddle would create so much joy, just when we needed it most.
If Grandpa taught me anything, it's that the opportunity for joy really is right in front of us, everyday. Every moment. We just need to open our eyes and find it....
It may be as close as the front yard after a rain storm.
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