The bad kind of anniversary

Today marks one year since my father-in-law died (chronicled here) and we're still waiting for that "time heals all wounds" thing to kick in. Obviously, life has gone on and the world has continued to turn in his absence, but it's still a little less full and happy than it used to be. A few examples:

Christmas ornaments. Mike was well known for hand carving several dozen ornaments every year, and being on the list signified that you had "made it" with him. This project started early in the year, and last year he had only finished carving about sixteen of them. Heather (with a little help from me) finished them off to make them presentation worthy, but having to narrow the list down by 80% was not, in any sense of the word, fun.

A card shortage. Mike sent cards for nearly every holiday somebody made cards for: St. Patrick's Day, Halloween, sometimes even Mother's Day (we did raise several cats, after all). Seeing nothing but bills in the mailbox as these days approached has been an unpleasant reminder of our loss.

No touristy long weekends. "Dad's coming to visit!" used to be Heather's favorite phrase, and she would do her little happy dance as one of his trips came closer. He would always let us drag him all over greater Orlando, let's go here, now let's go here, when all he really wanted to do was spend time with his girl. And as much as it annoyed me at the time when the two of them would make a scene arguing over who was going to pay for everything, I find that I miss having to find new stealthy ways to pick up a check or physically blocking him from handing over his credit card at the ticket office.

I was reminded of a passage I read to Heather a year ago today, while we were trying to keep Mike comfortable at the end:

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thes. 4:13-17)

But the real point of that brief theology lesson is found in verse 18:

Therefore comfort one another with these words.

So that's what I'm doing. We'll meet again, Pop.