Special moments, such as
birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays prove difficult if your loved one lives
elsewhere. He or she might reside thousands of miles away, making it
challenging to get together to celebrate.
One of our daughters, the one
dressed in green on the right in the picture below, lives in Kentucky. We are
in Houston, and it is too far for a brief visit, but we see her at least once a
year. We stay in touch by phone. Whew! That phone is a relief and a blessing.
The daughter on the far-left
lives near us. She is busy…way beyond belief, but she makes time for us. We eat
together once a week.
The daughter in the middle lives
in heaven. We can't see or talk to her anymore. When she lived on earth, we celebrated
her birthday every year. She and her husband would come to our house from
Austin, and we made a big to-do over her birthday.
Today, March 6, is her date of
birth. You know how it goes. We remember the loss with sadness. And
sometimes, our memories make us laugh.
Shelley, a happy-go-lucky lady,
became depressed on birthdays. Yep, she did. Like many of us who philosophize
as we circle the sun, she would say, "I'm old, and life is short."
She was eighteen the first time she uttered this phrase. On her twenty-fifth
birthday, she cried! She didn’t want to become an old lady.
And she didn’t. She never grew
"old," but disease shortened her life.
1. It is okay to be sad.
We will have those days when sadness hits us like a ton of bricks.
2. Do whatever makes you
feel better. Maybe a long walk, perhaps a special food treat.
3. Talk to someone about
your loved one. It might be a stranger! And that’s okay. Sometimes family
members don’t want to listen, but if you need to talk, find someone.