The day after Thanksgiving was difficult. I found myself feeling quite sad about Dad. I went thrifting with the girls, and the vintage store we went into had an old-fashioned nativity scene we had as a kid with grass on the roof of the manger. I sat down and cried quietly by myself. I called Mom and said I was missing Dad. She said she had just hung up from talking with my brother, Jay, and he had called to say the same thing. He is in Florida with his family. He was crying on the other side of the country. Grief feels lighter when shared, though it doesn’t take away the edge, the weight, and the pain.

I think behind the sorrow of my Dad is also the sorrow of how quickly life goes by. I know this is why we distract ourselves with busyness, rushing to the next activity. Someone wrote, “When one person is missing, the whole world seems empty.” Dad, toward the end, started handing out some of the belongings he had acquired through the years. I told him, “Dad, I don’t want these things; I want you to be with us and to get well. All I want is you here with us.” It brings me comfort as I think of heaven that there is nothing more precious in life than the human soul when you think about life. All the wealth in the world cannot replace the beauty of my Dad’s spirit. 

My daughter Ari just read John Steinbeck’s book, The Pearl. A couple comes upon a priceless pearl and believes now all their dreams will come true. Instead, they encounter anger, violence, murder, and fear. They eventually cast the pearl back into the sea. Nothing is more priceless than the life of another person. Love teaches us this.

“For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

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