Member-only story
I’ve Never Lost a Loved One…
…just had them slowly pulled away from me
A friend¹ lost her husband this past Sunday. I’ve been bawling my eyes out frequently since then, because that’s the soppy sort I am, and the dear lady is using her writing to tell stories of Ben and relive their life together, so I go through a handful of tissues with each one.
Thinking, in quiet moments, I’ve realized I had never lost a loved one the way Dennett lost Ben. I’ve always had warning, at least about the people I cared about the most.
I lost most of my grandparents when I was very young. I know that kids feel loss, but I remember feeling sad but not devastated.
My maternal grandmother died after years of doing poorly. It was one of those “in the end, it was a relief” sort of deaths.
Deb’s dad had been in declining health for years also. When Dad finally passed, he had been able to say goodbye to all his close family. The exact hour was a surprise, but otherwise we were all prepared.
Deb’s mom had fought ovarian cancer, then decided to let the disease take its course. We got to take her to an ice skating show (Mom loved to watch ice skaters) a few days before she died. Deb and I got to be there with her when she moved on.
