Georgia was so lovely. It was rainy and foggy, but I loved it so much. My cousins Amy, Lee, and Melissa and my Aunt Rindy are so sweet. Just so welcoming and kind.
It breaks my heart that in the last 5 months, we’ve lost two (as my sister Gretchen put it) “rocks” in our families. I’m sad that we are now all on this journey together. It hurts me to think of what my cousins went through, and I’m still adjusting to what I went through. I miss my daddy terribly, and I know my cousins miss my uncle already. How could we not? They were our fathers, and we were with them until the end. I get sad that I’ll never be walked down the aisle by my dad, even though I know he’d be there in spirit. I’m sad that my kids won’t have him as a grandfather, because that would have made me so happy to see.
But I am hopeful.
We will never have to go through losing our fathers again. We are past it. We are stronger now, and yes the circumstances of our coming together are unfortunate, but I’m glad we are together. We will forever be our father’s children and we will never forget them. We will honor them and hold them close to our hearts. Those who knew them were lucky, and those who have merely heard stories understand why.
Thank God for my siblings and Georgia relatives. They are the kind, loving, supportive, hilarious, non-judging, genuine family I’ve been searching for my whole life. I knew they existed, but I didn’t know they would be so wonderful. I didn’t know my life could be so wonderful, especially after losing my dear father, and after watching my cousins deal with the same thing.
Just listening to this video makes me think of them. Makes me think of them being young. Even though this video was taken well after their childhoods, I can’t hear this music and not hear similarities between this and the way our dad’s played. This music makes me think of them driving on bikes together and playing games. Punching each other and having sock wars on their bunk beds at night. Them riding their bikes down to the convenient store and getting sodas. So young and dreaming of playing music for crowds. Not knowing the incredible men they would grow up to be.
My heart is so full, and yet it aches at the same time.
