I know the pain too well. .

Today we attended a funeral to pay respects to a man I had met on many occasions who had lost his battle with cancer and to show support to a family who are experiencing things that are all too farmilar.  Nothing can prepare you expected or not.
My emotions were not easy to tame for I knew too well the hurt, the pain, and the loneliness that they too would endure. Hugging them and telling them that I was sorry and that one day it will get easy was the best I could do. It will get easier but you will have bad days too, days that you feel like it's a struggle to just get out of bed and get going. As I sat through the Eastern Star service and Masonic service, It brought me back to my dad's service. I questioned if we were able to really capture who my dad really was, cause looking around tonight they captured a father, a grandfather, a man of service to the masonic families, and a patriots fan. A man loved by many! I listened hard to the words of the services and a smile appeared across my face, yes I think we did, we captured a man who loved his family as I can see the photographs adored in his final resting place, photographs on a slides how that showed his love of life, outgoing personality and endless smile when he was around those he loved and doing things with them. A fireman helmet that showed his love of his community and which meant that he gave of himself to help others, his lamb skin apron that he wore with great pride as he knew he would instill in his family the great lessons of the order, and people, people who loved him and people who wanted us to know they cared. It's amazing how someone else's death can bring you right back to a moment a moment of fear and grief because you know all too well the changes in their lives and the pain they too will endure. I pray for them all I pray that they remember him for what he was to them and the memories that they can smile and recall for a lifetime.