Happy Thanksgiving!
Wishing all my American SOTH a peaceful and blessed Thanksgiving.
It is never the same without our beloved angels but trust that they will be with you, however you choose to spend the day.
We have had ours and are looking towards Christmas. For the first time since we lost Lisa, we are spending it at home. For the first time, we will put up a tree and have our turkey dinner. We learned that our dear friends next door are going to be alone as well. It will be a new normal for them as Adriana lost her 100 year old mother (the funeral was on Friday). I never thought I would ever look forward to Christmas again. Of course nothing will replace the joyful ones with the whole family.
Update: Marie, my friend who spent almost 3 weeks in a hospital in Athens, Greece, flew back home on Monday, accompanied by a nurse. She is happy to be home and thankful for the care she received. She said it was a reality check. She feels that her problems were partly due to her lifestyle - she has gained a lot of weight. So she is working on improving her overall health.
As I said, Adriana's mother's funeral was on Friday. I was able to keep it together until the choir began to sing Amazing Grace. It brought back memories of Lisa's funeral. The children from my granddaughter's school sang it. Despite the tears, I felt surprisingly peaceful. I am sure Lisa was with me.
Lisa: I miss you as much as ever, if not more. I love you forever, Mummy
It is never the same without our beloved angels but trust that they will be with you, however you choose to spend the day.
We have had ours and are looking towards Christmas. For the first time since we lost Lisa, we are spending it at home. For the first time, we will put up a tree and have our turkey dinner. We learned that our dear friends next door are going to be alone as well. It will be a new normal for them as Adriana lost her 100 year old mother (the funeral was on Friday). I never thought I would ever look forward to Christmas again. Of course nothing will replace the joyful ones with the whole family.
Update: Marie, my friend who spent almost 3 weeks in a hospital in Athens, Greece, flew back home on Monday, accompanied by a nurse. She is happy to be home and thankful for the care she received. She said it was a reality check. She feels that her problems were partly due to her lifestyle - she has gained a lot of weight. So she is working on improving her overall health.
As I said, Adriana's mother's funeral was on Friday. I was able to keep it together until the choir began to sing Amazing Grace. It brought back memories of Lisa's funeral. The children from my granddaughter's school sang it. Despite the tears, I felt surprisingly peaceful. I am sure Lisa was with me.
Lisa: I miss you as much as ever, if not more. I love you forever, Mummy
Replies
I don\'t really remember the first Christmas after Jeremy died. But I do look forward to it. I love hanging his ornaments on the tree. In our house a Christmas tradition is to buy a new ornament every year. It didn\'t have to cost a lot, just that we were a family picking it our together. I hang them on the tree and remember the time we spent picking them out, close my eyes and try to feel Jeremy\'s hands on them. Love you friend, Angela
Thank you Marlene. I\'m looking forward to a very peaceful ordinary day on Thanksgiving this year. I was invited to go with Jim and Jesse to her Mom\'s just don\'t want to do anything.
Sending lots of love,
Namaste,
Terry
Amazing Grace almost always causes tears for me, especially if they bring in the bagpipes. I am glad you are looking forward to Christmas. I am hoping the three of us will have a nice quiet time together both holidays. It is not quite the boisterous times of the past but still quality time together.
I was just thinking about the first year without Josh and \"how\" he was with us. Josh was a smoker and his clothes picked up that smell. I smelled cigarette smoke in the house everywhere I went. My husband is a non believer of \"signs or winks\" and is very adverse to even the idea of it. He went up to the kitchen and said, \"It sure smells like cigarette smoke in here.\" Luckily I was downstairs because I was laughing quietly.
May you have a really blessed holiday!! I still dread all of them, but am going through the motions !!
(((HUGS)))...Julia
Well, i\'m sick again. This time a sore throat, and sinus! It\'s a bore but it is what it is. I am hoping to be well enough by Thurs. to go to my dear friend Joan\'s with husband and dtr. W, is having it with girlfriend\'s family, whom he loves.
I seem to be missing Jacob more and more, at the same time, it\'s not a frantic feeling anymore, it\'s softer and more accepting. I miss my grandkids, but loath to travel, not feeling well as you can see.
I am very glad you are looking forward to the holidays, you are a great friend and support, and your neighbor, Mary, is lucky to know you. We find our little pleasures, realizing how They are the important stuff of life, after all. Love you my soth, Abby
Thanks, Marlene. Our day will be quiet. Thanksgiving was Ed\'s favorite holiday & now my most difficult one. This year, for once I am taking care of me & doing what is the least painful for me. So good to hear that you are looking forward to Christmas again. Christmas is easier for me too. Dont know why but thankfully it is. But its not how it should have been for sure.
Its kind of you to invite your neighbor who lost her mom. We know how others can help distract from the pain. Glad to hear Marie is home.
Much love to you and Lisa, Linda
It will never be the same...it is ever changing...Hillary and Aiden are 4 hours away living at the beach...so it is quiet here...we will go there for Thanksgiving and they will come here for Christmas...it is what it is...love to you friend.
Thanks for the Thanksgiving blessing.
Amazing Grace turns me into a sobbing mess. Usually have to leave when they start singing.
I hope you have a gentle Christmas holiday, XOXO Debbie
Thank you Marlene for Thanksgiving wishes! This one is going to be a REALLY weird one for me since I am going to my sister\'s house and her daughter is dating the man who was one of Michael\'s closest friends and ID\'ed him the night he died... and Daniel will be at our Thanksgiving dinner and it will be the first time I have seen him since Michael\'s memorial service and I am just finding all this out tonight that he is dating her and it is all a bit shocking...Wow, I will have to journal about his when I have time. Love you,
I am so very thankful for the lives of my girls and so hoping for the day to be over. It is truly amazing how some family members are so in the fog still!!!
Blessings to all. Love, Kathy
Thank you for sending peaceful and blessed Thanksgiving wishes, Marlene. Glad you are feeling peaceful and the presence of Lisa. XO Sharon
Thank you beautiful! Love you!
Sending hugs for a loving Thanksgiving! Thank you for your support and love SOTH!
I know you have celebrated yours so thank you dear Marlene. All those baby steps and being flexible to whatever presents itself seems to be our paths now....
Grateful for your loving friendship and on going support.
Xo Joanie
I hear the hear the healing in this journal and I am thankful for your excellent example of continuing to love and miss--YET choosing to move forward! This is a huge step--gaining Christmas involvement back...and something that takes ALOT of grief WORK before receiving. This is an inspirational story of progress amidst the ongoing pain. As far as \"Amazing Grace\"...it\'s evident that YOU have \"amazing grace\"!...Love, Donna