Our world was turned upside down in January 2008 when Robbie was first diagnosed with leukemia. When we began that journey, we had no idea what would happen or when. As it turned out, the journey was just seven months long. On this date, sixteen years ago, at 8:235 p.m., he left us.
Since then, various members of our family, on both sides, have dealt with disease and loss. In some cases, I found myself unable to reach out in sympathy and solidarity; in other cases, I did what I could to be there.
Loss is a part of life, part of the cycle I used to tease the kids about, bursting into song from Harry Chapin’s “All my Life’s a Circle” to The Lion King’s “Circle of Life”. I get it, but as the losses mount as I grow older, each seems heavier.
We were at a family wedding recently where the groom’s brother’s absence was marked with a framed portrait on a chair in the front row. It was a beautiful touch, and it’s at moments like that I am reminded how far from alone we are from the sting of death.
Not a day goes by when I don’t think about Robbie. The weight of his loss can sometimes be overwhelming, even now, and comes from unexpected cues.
#Tags: Robbie