Can we talk?

8 Hard Days

  It is a hard, hard thing to say good-bye forever to a younger brother. The last 8 days have been the longest of my life. It seems like ages since we found out about my brother's heart attack, and yet it is still hard to believe it happened. We are all tired and worn out, although we've had plenty of sleep and haven't eaten quite well, thanks to my church friends.

  It is a relief to be back at work, to have all the company gone, to have some time alone. It is therapeutic to go through my brother's papers, bills, etc., quietly and slowly. To touch his things, to see how organized he really was, despite his housekeeping skills, has helped us to hold onto him a little longer. Tomorrow my elderly father and I will go to clean the refrigerator and handle some of the less urgent, daily tasks, maybe even box up some of his collectibles.

  We muddle through from day to day. Life goes on, but our grief remains.