Last week, I received some horrible news. Davon's godparents, Regina and Petey, whom I affectionately call Mom and Dad because that's what role they've played since I became a part of their world when I was about 18 years old, lost their youngest daughter, Rita, unexpectedly. I won't go into all the details because that's not relevant to this post.
The point of this post is to express my extreme grief for both my loss and the immense loss her untimely passing must mean to two people who mean the world to me. As a mother myself, I can't even imagine what kind of pain losing a child must entail. Prayerfully, I won't have to find out first hand. It's an unnatural occurrence for a parent to have to bury their child. That being said . . . I am totally devastated and my heart bleeds for my adopted family as they deal with this huge loss.
Davon was really close to his godsister Rita and to have to deliver that news to him truly hurt my heart but I couldn't hide my pain as I arrived home that night after hearing the unthinkable. He knew something was wrong the minute I walked into the house. We embraced and cried with each other for a good while and then I allowed him to deal with his grief alone. When he made his annual trips to SC to spend time with Petey, a good chunk of his time he spent with Rita. They texted each other quite a bit while he was home too and this was the first time he has lost someone close enough to him who was young so I knew he would be affected. And I know he meant a lot to her as well. She's known him all of his life and we have spent a lot of time with them over the years so her loss is a deep wound.
As many of you know, we buried my aunt who raised me this past January but she had lived a long life (she was 89) and so her death, while still painful, was expected given her age and various health conditions.
Rita had not yet reached her 30s so she isn't supposed to be gone just yet. But God has a greater plan and my faith gives me pause to question why her life would be taken far too soon. I just pray for the healing of the hearts of her parents, her sisters LaShane and Barb, and the rest of our family and loved ones. Her loss is a void that can never be filled . . . I just hope that over time our faith and memories provide us with some sense of peace. Right now I'm still trying to wrap my head around the reality of her untimely passing and figuring out the best way to help my son deal with this devastating loss, not to mention trying to be of some use to Mom and Dad right now because I feel so totally helpless.
This experience also highlighted what we all know . . . that life is often far too short and we really need to continue to cherish those people we love and not take them for granted. We need to make an extra effort to let those we love know how much they mean to us because tomorrow is promised to no one. A sudden turn of events could have you or someone you love mourning an unexpected loss as well.
So this post is a tribute to my little sister, Rita . . . I love you more than you will ever know and though my heart is heavy now I know that you are now resting in the bosom of the Lord.
Here are a few musical tributes to my beloved baby sister Rita . . . and if you are reading this post please keep all of us lifted in prayer at this very difficult time.
The point of this post is to express my extreme grief for both my loss and the immense loss her untimely passing must mean to two people who mean the world to me. As a mother myself, I can't even imagine what kind of pain losing a child must entail. Prayerfully, I won't have to find out first hand. It's an unnatural occurrence for a parent to have to bury their child. That being said . . . I am totally devastated and my heart bleeds for my adopted family as they deal with this huge loss.
Davon was really close to his godsister Rita and to have to deliver that news to him truly hurt my heart but I couldn't hide my pain as I arrived home that night after hearing the unthinkable. He knew something was wrong the minute I walked into the house. We embraced and cried with each other for a good while and then I allowed him to deal with his grief alone. When he made his annual trips to SC to spend time with Petey, a good chunk of his time he spent with Rita. They texted each other quite a bit while he was home too and this was the first time he has lost someone close enough to him who was young so I knew he would be affected. And I know he meant a lot to her as well. She's known him all of his life and we have spent a lot of time with them over the years so her loss is a deep wound.
As many of you know, we buried my aunt who raised me this past January but she had lived a long life (she was 89) and so her death, while still painful, was expected given her age and various health conditions.
Rita had not yet reached her 30s so she isn't supposed to be gone just yet. But God has a greater plan and my faith gives me pause to question why her life would be taken far too soon. I just pray for the healing of the hearts of her parents, her sisters LaShane and Barb, and the rest of our family and loved ones. Her loss is a void that can never be filled . . . I just hope that over time our faith and memories provide us with some sense of peace. Right now I'm still trying to wrap my head around the reality of her untimely passing and figuring out the best way to help my son deal with this devastating loss, not to mention trying to be of some use to Mom and Dad right now because I feel so totally helpless.
This experience also highlighted what we all know . . . that life is often far too short and we really need to continue to cherish those people we love and not take them for granted. We need to make an extra effort to let those we love know how much they mean to us because tomorrow is promised to no one. A sudden turn of events could have you or someone you love mourning an unexpected loss as well.
So this post is a tribute to my little sister, Rita . . . I love you more than you will ever know and though my heart is heavy now I know that you are now resting in the bosom of the Lord.
Here are a few musical tributes to my beloved baby sister Rita . . . and if you are reading this post please keep all of us lifted in prayer at this very difficult time.
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