A Tender Farewell

Today's post is touched with sadness.

Life does not always turn out the way one hopes. Sometimes, there are deep disappointments and sorrows so painful, it makes it hard to breathe.

Divorce is soul shaking, even if it's for the best. It's like a death, in itself. Two people who have vowed to remain "until death do us part" go their separate ways and no one is ever again the same. If there have been children born of the union, divorce is even more painful but sometimes, it is what it is.  Children eventually adapt, ex-husbands and ex-wives get on with their lives, perhaps older and wiser, or perhaps not.

A person who was part of our family for many years and then left due to divorce has lost his fight for life. His struggle to survive was a valiant one and lasted at least six years.  I loved this person since he came into the family circle and was very, very sad when the marriage ended and he left.

He was fun-loving and had a twinkle in his very blue eyes. He loved to laugh and was always telling a joke or two. In the day, he loved Manhattans. His dream of traveling all over the world came true as his job required travel to some pretty amazing places. He even traveled quite a bit with his  adult children which opened wide their own worlds. No doubt,  they have some pretty awesome memories.

It's also wonderful that he got to meet his two adorable grandsons. They can carry on the legacy of his family name. They will be too little to remember him but they will have pictures of themselves as babies with their grandfather.

After he left the family circle, we still had news of his life through his kids and his ex-wife, with whom we remain close.   However, it has been years since I've seen him or heard his hearty laughter.  And now he is gone from this earth, marking the end of a very long era.

I'm glad his suffering is over. He fought a very hard battle since his will to live was so strong. His optimism in the midst of horrendous health challenges was nothing short of amazing. Actually, he was quite a remarkable man. He still died too young.

So today my heart is heavy for the loss, aching for all who knew and loved him, including his wife from a second marriage.

We must all wait until the next life to hug this dear man again, talk about old times, and let all the hurt, disappointments,  sadness and struggles evaporate forever. 

Godspeed, Eddie. God be with you, dear soul,  in eternity.