With a season-long wrap up of this last Auto Show season under my belt, closing out with New York, and while there, getting the call that stopped us in our tracks… well it’s been a little quiet around here.
“My dad stopped breathing.” His voice rang through the other end with both sadness and urgency. He wasn’t gone yet, CPR lasted for 30 minutes and after that he had a couple of hours left in him. Although, he never fully awakened, the ventilator keeping him going, it was a couple of hours for family to let the thoughts settle deep into every part of them.
My heart broke. In my hotel room, sitting wide awake through the middle of the night on the phone with the man I love who was miles and miles away going through this, my heart broke for him, my husband. For the family saying goodbye to their grandpa, to their father, to her husband–my heart broke. For the unborn child I’m carrying who won’t have the joy of meeting her grandfather or hearing his voice in her life, my heart broke.
Through all of it, the sadness and the heartbreak, there was also joy. Joy that his body wasn’t in pain anymore. Joy for the amazing life he lived and seeing the throngs of people that came out to encourage us, to celebrate his life and to share just how much of a difference he made for them… yes, so much joy. I’m grateful for the legacy he left for my family.
After a whirlwind trip to Michigan, seeing friends and family, crying and laughing, loving and then leaving, we decided to take our time coming home. An extended stop in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, nestled into the Smokey Mountains, was just what we needed. In fact, on our way home to Florida from there, Chris even remarked that it was the perfect distraction for us all, a quiet escape from our own thoughts.
I just want to say thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers during this time. We are now home, settling (maybe a little too much too quickly as I also feel like I’m nesting!), and I have some really great things in store for the coming weeks!! That is, if I can keep my eyes open long enough to get to it all, this fourth full-term pregnancy is so much different than the rest. And also, there will be SO much more to come from our short time in the mountains. We made the most of it with all kinds of family-fun and adventure, as well as some good downtime (translation = hot tub time) in the cabin… so stay tuned.
XO sweet friends.
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