This has been a hard week for my family we buried my mother in laws neighbor James who has lived next door to them all of David Jr’s life and him and his wife Pat helped raise David Jr. Then another neighbor passed earlier in the week along with my sister in law Lynn. We all know they say deaths come in 3’s but this time it came in 4’s as we also buried David’s dad David Sr.
As a wife and mom I wanted to remind you there are some people who come into our lives and become so much more than a title. David Sr. wasn’t just a father-in-law and he wasn’t just a grandparent. Also he wasn’t just a family member by marriage. David Sr. and Sherry become family in every way that matters. This week, our family said goodbye to not only David’s father but my dad and Charlie’s grandpa.
I wanted to let you know David Sr. was so much more than my father-in-law. David Sr. was one of my best friends in the whole world. He was a dad to me and the only person who ever stood up for me. David Sr. was someone who loved our family, shared stories with us, and left behind memories that we will carry forever. Just like my dad and my Uncle Chuck David Sr. was one of the greatest men I’ve ever known.
I wanted to remind you when someone we love passes away, we often struggle to find the right words. I thought I would ask you a question. How do you describe a person who meant so much? How do you explain the empty space they leave behind? Sometimes a title does not tell the whole story. Sometimes “father-in-law” does not begin to describe the person who stood beside you, encouraged you, laughed with you, and became part of your heart.
That is what grief teaches us which is the people we love leave footprints on our lives that time cannot erase. Their voices, their stories, their kindness, and the moments we shared become pieces of their legacy that remain with us. And while we mourn losing those people from this earth, we are also grateful for the gift of having known them.
Because love does not end when someone takes their final breath. Love continues through the memories we hold, the stories we share, and the ways we keep them close. Which is why I share stories of Suzzane and my parents with you.
Grateful. Thankful. Blessed.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates