And That’s That.

In the beginning, you wonder why the world is still spinning.

Why everyone is still going about their day as if nothing changed.

How does the world operate without the person you love so dearly in it?

Why can’t you catch your breath?

How will you ever move on?

And then… time puts distance between you and the person you lost.

You fear you will forget them. How they smell, how their arms felt wrapped around you. The way their eyes looked at you. It feels that the more you hold on, the faster everything slips away.

Because, like a picture out of focus, our memories fade.

The family stories grow and change – told now by others.

****

And then a familiar scent, or melody jars you.

A memory flashes through your mind..

The melody of her laughter.

Her morning routine in the summer.

The smell of his pancakes cooking.

The way she weaved stories, and ended them with “and that’s that.”

And the feelings? They come rushing back. In the scent of her perfume that still lingers on her sweater that hangs in my closet. In the laugh of my Mom that is so much like his. In the teddy bear that he gave me.

Love.

Their love will wash over you —  never forgotten, never lost and often just when you need it the most.

****

And that’s that.