8th birthday

Caleb is turning 8 today. The missing of a 7 year old turning 8 year old is so raw. Caleb is in so many ways a mini version of Josh. He is soo frank, so honest, and so straightforward to the point of getting himself in trouble for it. He LOVES talking sports stats, playing football and baseball, and will take every opprotunity to do so with others. It would have been the delight of Josh’s heart to share that with him. It rips my heart apart to think they don’t get to do that. The missing of a little boy of his dad just rips the heart apart. Last week he shared yet another

Caleb, “ Mom, I dream of daddy almost every night!.”
What do you dream?
“ I dream that we play baseball and go to Disney and watch football and play golf.”
That must be nice to have those great memories.
“Yeah.... but it doesn’t end nice... daddy always dies of a heart attack at the end of every dream.”

 Cue the flow of tears that doesn’t ever stop. He follows this up by asking to listen to “Blessed be the Name of the Lord”. Cue more tears. Of course that sound ends and he asks next for Josh’s favorite “Uptown Funk”. Cue the laughter.  Gracious, he can get me from tears of sorrow to joy in 5 minutes flat.

Praying for God’s grace this year and the years to follow to comfort the heart of this hurting boy who missing his dad on his birthday.

The missing

Nothing like having a hand made birthday present of a mouse house made out of all my favorite candies to bring a glimpse of joy. My kids decided that was exactly what I wanted. It totally made me laugh and was absolutely adorable and so thoughtful. They also purchased a wooden spoon to give me my birthday spankings! Little stinkers!  After work, we went to mom and dad’s for my favorite mashed potatoes, corn and gravy with pork chops. I feel very blessed to spend the day with so many loved ones.
This month the missing has been something awful. It’s almost like if you don’t have a person around for a little bit the missing is awful but it hasn’t been that long so you survive because other things are busy, but then when it gets too long you just miss that person with an ache that just doesn’t seem to lessen. The knowledge that I will see him again in heaven was helpful, but its just tooo long to wait. I miss him now so desperately. I miss his laugh, his dry sense of humor, his hugs, how he’d sleep with his arms crossed, his snoring even. I hear Caleb talking so excitedly about sports stats and teams, and I just cant help but think about how much joy that would have brought Josh to share with his son a love of sports, and talk all day about games and teams. He LOVED all that fantasy football and sports stuff, and as I see Caleb loving it too, it just makes the ache all that deeper. We went to a hockey game Thursday for birthday celebrations with my mom and I literally start bawling in the middle of the game because all I could think about is how much Josh would have loved to have been there too. Josh was always a laid back person, until there was some kind of sports competition. The thought of not being able to go to a sporting event, golf with him, or watch a football game cuddled up on the coach next to him ever again sends me into fits of tears. It’s funny all the things you love because your spouse loves it.  I miss watching and playing football, going to Spartan games, and playing golf  I even like these things after years of doing them with him (although I don’t think I will ever love watching golf on TV!) It makes me think how much we change because of those we love. How much we love things after awhile because we love doing it with our loved ones, and we did it in the first place because we love them and want to be with them. I am forever changed because of him.

He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3

Struggling

I have been struggling. I just can’t seem to get myself out of this depressive funk of one minute being furiously angry to the next being super irritated with everything and everyone to feeling super apathetic.  It’s my birthday- of course one of the most looked forward to days of the year, and instead of waking up happy and excited, I woke up crying. It probably doesn’t help that I haven’t been sleeping well- I hate you 4am.  In any case, I keep trying to do things to help snap out of it, but nothing seems to be working well. Walks, puzzles, praying, reading my Bible... nothing seems to be helping. I’m just sad. I miss Josh. I miss what was my life. I want to wake up to a giant Josh sized bear hug, not just on my birthday, but every day. I miss him so much... and this missing cloaks me in a blanket of sadness and depression, I just can’t seem to peek out of.
Thank the Lord for family, friends and kiddos that always bring joy even in the midst.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18

Anger

Parenting is hard. Parenting without Josh feels like an overwhelming weight I cannot bear. There are so many times already in a years time that I think, this isn’t my job. This part is Josh’s job. He isn’t here to do his job. So I am left to do it alone. And I am mad. Overwhelmingly furiously angry. I don’t want to do this without Josh. I am mad there is no one else that loves or knows my children the way a parent knows and loves their child here to parent or make decisions or discipline or love them. I hate parenting alone. I already second guess everything I do and now I don’t have my other half to figure it out together.
I am angry that our future, our dreams, our life that we had and had planned is all gone in an instant. So much of my life is in a moment adrift. I want my husband who dreamed and walked life along with me here. I miss his smile, his laugh, his calm logic, his hugs, his talking me off the ledge, his firm discipline, his love.  The ache to have him here feels like it is ripping my heart in two. This week has been awful, buried under a suffocating blanket of grief. My soul is downcast and my heart is troubled with worries about my children, our future, our present. Pray for us.

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. Psalm 43:5