​”This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it!” Psalm 118:24 NKJV

I’ll be honest, the past few months it has been a struggle to make it through the day without losing my temper, crying, or both. I’ve gone inward in my grief, and tried to shut out the world. 

So far, in my darkened room this month, I’ve watched the first 4 seasons of Criminal Minds on Netflix.

When you are sad and depressed, Criminal Minds is probably not the show to binge watch, FYI.

I had just begun to process life without my Dad, when my Nana was diagnosed with lung cancer in January. Then I lost both her and my Papa in March. It sucks.

I love them. I enjoyed spending time with them. They were my people.

On top of that my grandparents were my security blanket in a lot of ways. Their home was always a safety zone for me. I lived there when I was a baby, spent summers there as a child, and lived there when I was unemployed. 

It was my home base. I was there with my cousins for every holiday beginning with Papa Day (St. Patrick’s Day), ending with Christmas, and every random one in between. If life sucked I could go there and be safe. I went there on sunny summer days to play Scrabble with Nana on the Deck. I went there before blizzards to make sure they had what they needed. I went there just to hug them.

I not only lost my people, I lost my home.

Normally their house was where I went when life belted me, and now in the hardest loss I’ve ever faced, I can’t go where I’ve always gone for comfort.

I know I’m supposed to be comforted by Holy Spirit, and I am. If I didnt have Him, I wouldn’t have been capable of being there for them in their last days. I would have been weeping constantly and been of zero use to anyone. He is amazing. I still feel His presence and have the peace Jesus brings. But I still feel blah about life right now.

I don’t know how to move forward.

I don’t want to accept the new normal.

I want to sit in my darkened room and watch Criminal Minds. 

I don’t want to miss them every day. 

I don’t want to feel how much this hurts.

I don’t want to think about them not being at future events.

I don’t want my heart to hurt because it’s 4th of July weekend and there will be no cookout. There will not be hide and seek with my cousin’s kiddos in the back yard. The back yard is blooming with her flowers but she is not there. His yard has been mowed but not by him.

Death sucks. I’m so glad Jesus beat the crap out of death and was resurrected. I’m so glad Jesus is alive! Because it means I will see my people again…and they will be happy and healthy and free.

But it doesn’t change that I need to feel the feelings and deal with the waves of grief that are drowning me in sadness. Even though I don’t really know how to move forward, and I’m not sure I want to…I know I need to.

They loved me and would hate that I’m so sad that I’m wasting their favorite sunshine filled days in a darkened room.

I have no regrets. I was there with them when they left this world. That was a gift. I spent consistent time with them when I had them here. That was also a gift. 

I could go on here about how sad I am right now and how many times I broke down crying while typing this…but that isn’t the point I want to make.

The point is that I will miss them forever at every event. That will not change. 

I need to choose to feel those feelings and choose to deal with them. I need to choose continue to live my life, instead of choosing to hide out. I need to choose joy. Because the joy of the Lord is my strength. And I need that strength to get through this time.

Point to ponder while you wander…

“This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it!” Psalm 118:24

I believe that each day is a gift. Living this belief is a choice. Being determined to declare that no matter what this day brings I WILL rejoice and be glad in it. #joyisstrength