This
year has been a crazy one for me. It has had many ups and downs. It began with an adventure when I found out on
January 4th that I would be spending the summer in Santa Cruz, CA,
but tragedy struck early in the morning of March 22nd, when my aunt’s
home in Guthrie burned. My oldest cousin, Terick, didn’t make it out of the
house. So began one of the hardest
seasons of my life so far. There were times when grief would hit hard, and I
just did not know what to do, but my friends were always there to pick me up
and share encouraging words. I went on
to spend the summer in California, which definitely provided a lot of healing
for my soul. It was scary and hard and wonderful and crazy all wrapped in to
the greatest summer of my life.
But in
this Christmas season, my family and I are struggling to be joyful. Terick has
been a huge part of my Christmas tradition since I was 5 years old, and I’m
worried about how tomorrow is going to go. We are having Christmas at my great
grandma’s house, which is not something we have not done before. We’re doing
everything a little differently because doing it the same would feel like we
were trying to ignore that Terick is gone. It’s going to be weird not getting
my big hug Christmas morning, but I’ll make it somehow. My Baby Bear is gone from this earth but will
forever live in my heart until I see him again one day.
I keep
reminding myself that Christmas is more than gifts and family. It’s about the
baby that was born to a virgin to save the people of the world. It’s about
something so much bigger than my life. It’s sometimes hard to find comfort in
this right now, but it’s still important to remember. I ask for prayers of
peace and comfort as my family walks through this together and as we remember Terick on his birthday (Jan 3rd), and also that we
would remember the true meaning of Christmas this year. Don't take the time you have with loved ones for granted. You never know how quickly things can change.
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| Christmas 2013 (Adair, Terick, Henry) |
With love,
Tabi
