Chris' Christian Blog

Love Hurts

"Love Hurts" 





The Blog City Prompt Forum prompt for Friday January 27, 2017 is "Write about something that sinks deep into your heart before exploding. What event was like a force of nature in the core of your being? Detail the cascading effect it had on your outlook, your day, your year or in an instant."

This prompt is easy for me. When I was reading it a situation came to mind that I still remember the details to as clearly as if it were yesterday. It was Thursday October 17, 1974. I was sitting in my seventh grade English class writing a story. Every week the teacher would give us a prompt and we'd write a story based on that prompt. This week was no different. We never knew whether she would do it on Thursday or Friday but she always did so. This day right as we finished however the principal came to the door and asked the teacher to step out. As he did I saw my dad standing there and it struck me as odd. What could my dad be doing at school? The teacher called me and I went out amid what seemed like a thousand sad voices saying "Goodbye Marvin" and "Sorry Marvin."

I wanted too question why they were being nice as they never were but knew not to keep my dad waiting. I started to gather my books to do my homework but my teacher told me to leave them. My dad led me outside and gave me news that shook the heart of my world and nearly destroyed me. My sister Helen Michelle had just died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome,a condition now known to be caused by using a used crib mattress. Michelle, whom we called "Mitzy" had been like a shadow to me. I was 13 years her senior but we had bonded and become very close during her short 17 months on Earth. When I was home Mitzy followed me everywhere. I can honestly say that I knew to never come to any sudden stops or somebody would have had to have surgically removed her head from my backside. Now she was gone. The news was the most devastating thing I had ever dealt with or ever would deal with again. The death of my wife and both parents combined didn't affect me as strongly as her death. To this day I remember sitting under a green brier patch literally crying my eyes out and not caring that the briers were scratching me. In fact the scratches were a welcome distraction. No death since has had the impact hers had on me. It was almost as if I quit allowing myself to love after her death or at least to love that deeply, in an effort to avoid the pain. Love truly hurts!