Dearest Mom:

I oftentimes think about what all our lives would be like if he was still with us.  What he would think of Alida, how he would interact with the twins, if he would grow soft in direct correlation to me growing up.  I wonder too, of how his presence would have calmed Heather, how he would be a friend to Adam, how he would rave about Ben’s abilities and marvel at Delilah’s hutzpah.  And, mostly, I wonder about you and all of the life moments you two would have shared as retirement settled in, as our family grew, as boats and tee times and club friendships filled your days after a lifetime of serving others.  And when I think about all of this, all of those missed treasures, my heart gets really heavy and I just want to stay mad and scream at the unfairness of it all.  And, sometimes, it’s really hard to find a silver lining.

But, I’m a lot like you and silver linings eventually surface for people like us.  And, for me, the silver lining in losing him is that I gained a much deeper relationship with you, for which I am most grateful.  So on this March 7^th, while I grieve for the loss of my father, I simultaneously rejoice in the depth of my love and friendship with you.

All my love.