We had planned on going camping for our family reunion, but with heavy hearts in July, we cancelled our campgrounds for August assuming all had taken off the extent of work which they'd be able to for some time to come. Surprisingly, almost everybody was able to return in August, so we did things around town like go to Wild Waters where we had so much fun. Garrett and I both talked about how it felt so hard, so impossible so very very sad to go to the water park without dad. Waterparks are his absolute favorite. But, we forced ourselves to go and then honored him greatly as we, in his footsteps, raced the kids to every slide, nearly drowned Garrett in the wave pool, and, for the first time since dad's accident laughed. Like true deep belly tears coming out of our eyes laughed. Our hearts truly started to heal with each escape of laughter. We giggled with reckless abandon-deep from the belly chuckles that subtly reminded us, we were still here. As a result, the rest of the reunion felt lighter hearted than we had experienced in months. We had a wonderful time eating together, cooking together, going to Lake Tahoe, afternoon movies, BBQs at the park, late night performances by the kids (mostly singling One Direction songs), pizza dinners, yogurt beach, and enjoying one another. It was not a reunion without heartache, and we certainly felt a pressing absence as I'm sure we always will at family functions in this life. But still, it felt as if it was the very start of our hearts beginning to remember that we. are. still. here.
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