A very supportive and loving friend send this quote to me on the anniversary of Mom's death. Between the lovely bunch of daffodils which bloomed outside our front door and this sweet message, I was able to work a little harder at pushing the bad memories of that day out of my mind.
It is true that death and grief hits people in different ways. Speaking for myself, I don't go around with an Eeyore cloud floating over my head day in and day out. There are just some days, though, such as the 25th of January, when I have to work really hard at seeing the joy in the day. It's stupid, and I hate it. The optimist and positive gal inside of me doesn't like it very much when I let my head go there.
Emotions are a complex thing. Like the twisted branches and gnarled roots of the massive Banyan tree, they can swallow you up and get out of control if not properly contained. They don't abide by someone's idea of a time frame. It's up to you do decide how to handle them.
One of Mom's favorite things to tell me was, "One day at a time, Mary Beth!" Oh, how wise she was, and how much I miss that she isn't here to tell me that.
Thank goodness for the friends in our life who don't mind stepping in to remind us of the things we know are true. It's okay to miss someone who was such an important part of our lives for so long, as long as we don't forget to love ourselves in the process.
