Weathering The Storm

“Grief is like the ocean; it comes on waves ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. All we can do is learn to swim.” ― Vicki Harrison

The waters are rough this week; it was a first without Laura for many things; a first birthday, a first swim meet and a first Fathers Day is looming on the horizon. All without her.

Like most storms, you try to prepare yourself, and you find that it’s either not as bad or much worse than you anticipated. You also weather the storm as best as you can – you hold on, brace yourself, close your eyes, take a deep breath and wait. I’ve found that I’ve had to do this way too many times this week, and it serves as a reminder that the grief will never go away; it will just become less frequent – ebbing and flowing.

As I gaze off into the distance, I know that there are more storms on the horizon. Maybe not as powerful, but still tumultuous. As each one rolls in, I’ll brace myself once again, close my eyes, take a deep breath and wait. A little beat up, but more prepared for the next one.