They say grief comes in waves. I have to believe it does. I’ve experienced some tough losses in my life—people, animals, and events. And I can attest to it and none of it was ever fun.
Today I learned of a parcel of land near my home for sale and I wanted no more than to call my Dad and give him the piece of information. The man loved to gossip. He loved to ask people questions, and wasn’t afraid to be nosy. One of his favorite things to do was to go to the local Dodge dealership and check out all the new pickups and harass the salesmen.
It was a good trait to have, but at times I admit, it was a little annoying. He’d know a juicy detail at you before you could find out and he’d beat you to the punch. It was like living in a small town where everyone knew your business, well Dad knew everything going on in his neighborhood.
He’s been gone for a little over a year now, and I’m still feeling it. An Internet search gave me the five stages of grief as denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Knowing the stages can help making learning to live with a loss easier. They don’t necessarily come in that order, nor are they stops on a time line. Knowing them hopefully helps one become better equipped to cope with their daily lives and the loss. Grief is often unique.
I sure know mine is. When we had the wildfire in Clark County last year at the farm, my emotions were definitely anger and depression. Didn’t help that Dad had died prior to the fire so everything was amplified ten fold.
I guess I’ve almost reached the acceptance phase of the fire and Dad being gone. There’s still times where the grief hits like a ton of bricks. Kind of like this morning. I take comfort in the fact he’s no longer in pain, but that still doesn’t make me miss the growly old fart.
I found this Bible verse last year, and it’s become my go to when I’m feeling like I do today. Joshua 1:9—"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
