Easter weekend (part II)

One of the things I wanted to do was go to the sunrise service at the pier.  I did not care if I had to go by myself.  I mentioned it before I went to Dads, and it seemed no one wanted to go.  The night before, Dad had just got in bed, and I asked him if he was going to go, and he said yes.  The service started at 6:30 a.m.  I asked Ashton and Lauren if they wanted to go, and they both said yes.

The service was hard to go through.  It was the first Easter without Mom.  I knew she was with Jesus in Heaven, but it was still hard.  I took a lot of pictures of the sun rising.  I looked at Dad, and a few times his eyes were red and tears were in his eyes.

We all went to the late church service at Dad’s church.  I had to bite my tongue several times to keep myself from crying.  Dad had given a lily in memory of Mom.  In the bulletin, where it said, “Given by” it said, “My sweetie.”  Dad said that is what he called her.  Joann read that and had to excuse herself to the bathroom because it upset her.  One time, I looked down and saw Jamie crying, and I started crying too.  Soon most of us were crying.  I asked Jamie why she started crying, and she said it was because Dad started crying. 

After the service, we always get family pictures in front of the cross.  The cross was made up of fresh cut flowers, and lilies were also at the front of the church.  When the daughters gathered around Dad for a picture, tears came to Dad’s eyes.

Joann left Sunday, and I was the only one left at home with Dad.  I asked him if he wanted to go to the beach.  We went only for a little while because it was cold.

I had wanted to clean out the laundry room for several weeks and did so once everyone left.  It was just one of those projects I wanted to do. 

U  Have you thought about when they lose their loved one, they have to do all the tasks their late spouse had done? (For a man that probably means they will have to wash their clothes, cook, do dishes, and household chores for the
"first" time…..wow!)  U   

It took forever to pack and get ready to leave.  I told Dad we would just get a bite to eat at Del Taco and leave.  He said he did not want to eat by himself, so he asked if we could eat inside.  We sat down and had a nice chat during lunch.  He told me he was going to Panama on a mission trip to build something while he was there.  I would like to do something like that one day, maybe even with Dad.

 

U  Are you being sensitive to ask them to do things with you because the loved one they always spent time with is now gone?  U

Dad walked us out to our cars after we left the restaurant.  Lauren and Ashton were hugging him goodbye, and one of them said they loved him, and he replied back, “I love ya’ll too.”  That was the first time they had heard those words from their Granddad.  I told them not to forget it.

 

I called Nana and told her I would not be coming by to see her on the way home.  I told her Ashton wanted to go to the gravesite, and it would be out of the way to come by and see her.  She told me she was on medication because she was depressed.  She told me it was the worst it had ever been.  I asked her if it was worse now than when her husband died, and she said, “Yes.”  She said she always thought she would “go” before her children.  She has been through so much, and she is the last of eight brothers and sisters.  Her two husbands have passed away and now Mom.  We need her to take care of herself, so she won’t go on a downward spiral.

U  Are there loved ones you can visit to help ease their pain?  U

It has been hard changing from calling my parent’s house, “Granny and Granddaddy’s house” to, “Granddaddy’s house” or just saying, “St. Simons.”  Lauren and Ashton have already begun the transition.

**Photo was taken that first Easter morning after the sunrise service.