OUR STORY
In 2019, our dad died. Three months later, our mom died, too. These two losses were drastically different. One parent died slowly, and we had time to prepare for the goodbye. The other died suddenly. We were shocked, hurt, and completely devastated.
Losing Dad
Our Dad got sick in late 2015, and throughout the next four years, we walked a journey of hospital visits, rehabilitation centers, and the knowledge that we were slowly moving toward his death.
Over this period of time, we grieved the future we knew we wouldn’t have with our dad while simultaneously cherishing the moments we had left.
Dad had discussed his final wishes with our stepmom, and so when he got an infection in May 2019, she honored his wish not to go to the hospital. He had been in hospice care for about a month, and he had told us, multiple times, that he was ready whenever it was time.
His death was as peaceful as you could imagine: surrounded by family in our home, praying until the moment he made it to heaven. But if you’re here, you know that while that moment must have been incredible for him - seeing Jesus face to face - it was heartbreaking for us.
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Losing Mom
Our mom died of a fentanyl overdose in August 2019. We knew she struggled with mental health issues, but she managed to hide her addiction from us for nearly 12 years (at least, that’s what we think).
We knew something was wrong the week she died, but the possibility that by the end of the week she would be dead was not something we even considered.
In the wake of our mom’s death, we found ourselves planning a funeral, making decisions about her possessions, and cleaning out her apartment in 3 days. Because our parents were divorced, and our mom never remarried, we were the ones who bore the financial and emotional burden of settling her affairs.
Once the funeral was over, we had nothing to do but sit in our grief and wonder how in the world our lives ended up like this. It was the hardest few months of both of our lives.
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We not only know what it’s like to lose parents, but we know specific and different types of grief. The grief that comes with tragedy. The grief that comes in anticipation of a death. The grief of missed events, of knowing your children or husband will never know that person. The grief that hits you in the middle of the day and the grief that wakes you in the middle of the night.
And yet, we are still here. Still surviving the life that God has handed us. We hope you’ll let us join you in your suffering and help steer you toward healing.
