Letting go

This is something that my wife has had to do a lot of recently with the loss of her Mother, her Father, and just last week...her Aunt (her Father's side). She went back home this week to attend the funeral and take care of some things with regard to her dad's personal effects. I spoke with her each night and the first night of being back in her dad's house was pretty hard on her. One of the things I told her that night was that, as hard as it is to let go, it can also be very celebratory when you start to look back at all of the memories shared with that individual. I am still angry over the loss of her Father but I think of him every day when I enter our home and look at the horse shoe by the front door or the antique milk container on the deck. Whenever I use one of his knives (I always have one on me) I wonder how many times he used it. This is something I will never do with my own Father or Mother. I am grateful to be able to have what little memories of him that I do.

Likewise, I am equally grateful to have those memories of my wife's Aunt. I did not know her all that well but she was always kind to me and welcomed me into her family even before it was official. Arlene suddenly passed away on the morning of December 19. She was feeding her horses when her time ran out. Most notably, she leaves her husband behind. She now joins her brother again in a better place.

May you rest in peace Arlene and may you forever tend to your horses in fields of gold.