He walked away this time and it just felt different. His voice was a tone attempting to sound happy. As he waved a backward wave, he said, “I love you sis.” Any time before, it was, “see you later”. It was all different in every way;his voice, his choice of words, his unexpected visit, his energy, and the vibe it gave me.
It all seemed to film in slow motion;me standing at the front door waving to his backside, the cold winter air chilling me from head to toe, blinking Christmas lights in the background, and that weird unexplainable feeling as if to say he never planned on returning. I stood at my front door watching him drive off and I prayed a prayer that only God could hear that went something like, “keep him safe, Lord.” Our family would say our last farewells to him just a few weeks later. It’s been 8 years now and it still feels like yesterday, but why?
My brother and I weren’t as close as we could have been but we weren’t distant either. He was there if I needed him and I was there when he truly needed me. Did we visit each other often, no. Did we call each other everday, no. But, we loved each other. We fought at times and often went without talking but always found a way to forgive and forget. He had his lifestyle choices and I had mine. He knew how I felt about his life choices and I knew how he felt about mine. We just let each other live and let live. We didn’t leave anything unspoken. I used to feel like I didn’t get a chance to tell him goodbye but as I reflect back to yesterday, I realize I did, we both did. It was that goodbye just weeks before his passing that comforts me still today. I somehow knew it was our last goodbye. His passing will always feel like yesterday because time is to short for us all. Time has a way of standing still when you can’t turn time back. So, it will always feel like yesterday to me.
His farewell was just the beginning of changes to come in our family at least this is my observation. It gave us all a rude awakening that life is short and you have to be happy and have no regrets! I can’t speak for my other 6 brothers or 1 sister but his death pushed me to seek my inner issues and seek my “real happy”. Sure, I didn’t do anything about it until a year ago but it was the beginning pavement to my healing today!
So what happened that caused me to begin to heal, you ask? Revelation happened! It was that moment when I realized that what I was so successful in hiding for so long, I didn’t have the strength to control anymore by “hiding” it. I found myself not able to leave my room or want to get out of bed. I had to deal with that “depression” covered with anger or it would kill me and put me in the same place as my brother. It still took months later to say the words, “I’m depressed”.
It’s been a full year of healing, seeking God, and letting go. The “letting go” has been the hardest but I’m better for it today. The finish line is still within reach but I’m closer than I was, yesterday!
Over50Living 