Firsts

There have been a lot of "firsts" for us in the last year. Unfortunately this week my family experienced our first accidental death. Just as we didn't know what to do with our other "Firsts" in life, we don't know what to do now.

My Dad's brother, Ben, was killed on September 23rd while stacking bails in his yard. It has been an awful week trying to figure out what to do next and how to work through our grief. As a family we have experienced the loss of other members, but never so suddenly. No one could have been prepared for such an event.

In the last few days I have learned that we all grieve in different ways. Some are quiet, some talk. Some cry, some stay busy. Some need to be surrounded, others need solitude. I have been amazed at the inner strength and faith of so many of my family members. The pain is deep, but there is still hope underneath.

It seems that most of the pain I feel is for those that are close to me that are hurting so badly. I hate seeing those that I love in pain. We try our whole lives to keep those we love from hurting. We can't avoid this and I can't take it away. Pray for my family as they push through this tough time. Pray for us as we learn how to support each other.