Hi there! Remember me? It’s been a while… It was never my intention to take the whole summer off from blogging (in fact, my intention was basically the complete opposite of that); but, well, here we are — It’s September, and my last post was from early June. Oops. Anyway, here I am. Hello again old friends.
I’m not going to do a full recap of our summer – it was hot and fun and way too short – but I do need to share some really sad news before I can move on and get back to “regular programming” around here… There isn’t an easy way to transition, and I suspect many of you already know from Instagram, so I’ll just come out with it: At the end of July, my brother-in-law, DeWayne (my sister’s husband), passed away very unexpectedly. He was 40, they had just celebrated their third wedding anniversary in June, and we’d all returned from a family beach trip together just three weeks before.
It was an absolutely devastating and tragic loss, and our entire family is still reeling and grieving – as we likely will for a LONG time – but we are healing a little bit each day and finding comfort in our memories of him and the legacy he left behind — His funeral had over 500 people, and the lives he touched as a counselor, coach, teammate, mentor, friend are too many to count. He really was an incredible guy.
I know many of you have followed my blog for a long time and know and love Kathryn (resident blog make-up guru and my most loyal reader/commenter), so I thought it was important to tell you about this and ask for your continued prayers in the coming weeks and months. We’ve talked about her writing here some in the future about her experience, her heart, and the countless ways people have cared for her (and all of us really) throughout all of this; but, until then, know that she is still beautiful and amazing and strong. I’ve never been prouder and more inspired by my little sister.
Something I’ve been learning about myself is that my tendency is to “look for the bright side” or rush to the “good news.” Even now, I’m wishing I could wrap this post up somehow on a happy note, like, it isn’t as bad as it sounds, but it is. It sucks. Over the last six weeks, I’ve wanted SO badly to just “fix it” or take away even just a little of Kathryn’s pain; BUT, instead, I’m learning that sometimes you just have to get dirty and sit in the hard stuff for a while… That’s where we are.
I promise I’ll be back with a classroom tour, a reading recap, and more SOON. But thanks for sitting here with me today.
Love you guys,
E
P.S. As I mentioned above, Kathryn always reads my posts AND the comments. If you’d like to leave a note of encouragement or love for her, feel free to do it here! I’ll make sure she sees it. 🙂
I have been thinking of and praying for Kathryn often over these past weeks. I can’t imagine her heartache, and I pray that moments of peace and comfort find all of you as you go through these days.
K,
My hearts ache for you. We still have your ‘save the date’ on the fridge (a collection of our favorite people and their favorite days) and see the love you shared, on a daily basis. We are keeping you in our thoughts and prayers.
I’ve been praying for Kathryn and all of you every since I heard he passed so suddenly, I can’t imagine. Continued prayers and hugs to you guys!!!
God bless you and your family, Kathryn. My prayers are with you all.
4 years ago this September my brother was killed biking by a drunk driver. I can’t believe it’s been four years without him. I’ve gotten engaged, married, bought a house, and had a baby—some of the greatest memories of my life happened. I know that at times immediately after I felt like life could not possibly go on. (And, honestly, this feeling comes up still sometimes.) One of the best things said to me after his death that sticks with me still is the idea that “it doesn’t get any easier, but you get stronger.” This is true. If I am having a harder day or a moment of weakness, I can let the pain still overcome me and crush me. But each day I get stronger living this life without him physically in it. I just like to think I must continue on and live fiercely because he is not able to. I hope this may bring a small amount of comfort to your sister❤️
Oh, this is so devastating to hear. I’ve loved getting to “know” your sister through your writing, and am devastated to read about the passing of her husband. Prayers to her and your family as you grieve. XO