So 2022 isn’t quite playing out quite as we expected. I remember sitting quite smugly at the end of January with my husband, commenting that as January’s go this has been a good one. We started chatting about how great this year was looking. That finally the kids sleep through the night and the terrible two phase seemed to be coming to an end. Plus we had a calendar full of happy family events and holidays.
Then on the 15th February, just two weeks later, our world stood still as my Father-in-law very suddenly went into hospital and on the 22nd February he was gone.
Nothing prepares you for the emotions that come and the feeling of wanting to hold your family together through the pain of loss. You see, this was no ordinary father-in-law, no stereotypical character you see so often on television, this was my Fil (father-in-law) as he always lovingly signed off a text or card.
How unfair does death feel? How final.
We need a break, a reset, a chance to get space and perspective on what has happened. Life as we know it…life as we know it, altered.
Did we realise how blessed we were at the time? The person at the other end of the phone if you wanted them. Why, as humans, do we seem to forget our fragility? We seem to assume that we will live until we are old and that is how it will play out. My Fil lived like a man who felt blessed, he oozed happiness and charm, making me feel so welcome when I first met him and ever since. I last saw him on a FaceTime call in the hospital, he wasn’t able to speak but still we felt he wanted us there, how did he do that?
With the passing of each friend or family member there is an opportunity to assess your own life. Death forces you to confront yourself head on in the mirror and challenge how you live. You will, after all, not be here forever so let’s get on with it and live live live.
Life and House Design 