The next time
When you're so angry at your husband or your children and think you'd just like to run away; when you are so fed up with life that you just wish you could fall off the face of the earth; or simply when life gets unbearable: think about saying goodbye.
Beware. I have been bawling for 15 minutes straight. But, the images are so powerful. I've talked about the loss of a soldier's wife to cancer. This is the couple's baby saying goodbye to his mom in her casket.
I can't think of any words to say to express the sadness I feel for this family. I feel sad for the mom that died. My absolute worse fear is to lose one of my children. My second is to die before they grow up. I have seen what happens to children who lose a parent and I don't want to do that to them. I want to be there to see their first dates, their first heartbreaks, their first everything. I can't imagine knowing I'm going to die before they're grown and she had to endure that along with the pain and suffering of being sick and unable to care for them even when she was still living. I feel sad for the husband/dad. He has lost his partner in life. His love and companionship is gone and now he has to try to be both mom and dad to three children while serving his country. No small task. I feel so awful for those children who will grow up without the love and support of their mother. God love 'em.
Beware. I have been bawling for 15 minutes straight. But, the images are so powerful. I've talked about the loss of a soldier's wife to cancer. This is the couple's baby saying goodbye to his mom in her casket.
I can't think of any words to say to express the sadness I feel for this family. I feel sad for the mom that died. My absolute worse fear is to lose one of my children. My second is to die before they grow up. I have seen what happens to children who lose a parent and I don't want to do that to them. I want to be there to see their first dates, their first heartbreaks, their first everything. I can't imagine knowing I'm going to die before they're grown and she had to endure that along with the pain and suffering of being sick and unable to care for them even when she was still living. I feel sad for the husband/dad. He has lost his partner in life. His love and companionship is gone and now he has to try to be both mom and dad to three children while serving his country. No small task. I feel so awful for those children who will grow up without the love and support of their mother. God love 'em.
3 Comments:
At 11:01 PM, January 20, 2007,
Anonymous said…
Gut-wretching!
It certainly captures with photographically what just happened to this child's life. Very sad, but I don't know if I'd want my child to do that at that age.
At 11:09 PM, January 20, 2007,
Army of Mom said…
Funny how we all have varying thoughts on what is appropriate for a child when it comes to confronting death. I hope I NEVER have to make a decision like that to know what I'd do. I would think, though, that it would be good to let the child say goodbye. My mom wouldn't let me attend my grandmother's funeral when I was 12 and I am still very sad that I missed my chance to say goodbye. I wasn't allowed at any of the funeral events, the viewing, anything.
At 1:00 PM, January 21, 2007,
hooah-honey said…
AoM,
Hi, I've never posted here or introduced myself, but I'm a HUGE fan of your blog, and also "A Storm In Afghanistan". You expressed exactly how I feel about my baby girl, my deepest fears, my heartbreak for this amazing family, and my needing a reality check sometimes to remind me to always cherish my husband and child. There is an ache in my chest I can't put into words when I read all of this....but you did, exactly. "God love 'em" and God love you, too!
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