Blessed are those who mourn...

It has been a trying and exhausting week.

My eyes hurt from the overflow of tears.
My body aches from the stress.
My head hurts from the lack of sleep.

On Sunday, August 17, 2004 my husband's grandfather, "Patuto" went to be with our Savior early that morning.

Priase to our God that it was easy and peaceful and painless.

He is home and the rest of us who are left here for the time are hurting from the loss of a fun loving, sweet, caring, simple man. A man who would and did sacrifice everything for his family. Who was always so proud of his children and grandchildren and even great grandchildren.

We simply can't get over the fact that he is gone.
He was just here. In fact, not even three weeks ago did he come over for dinner and he sat on my couch and laughed at my son do his famous baseball swing (it involved spitting and grabbing).

And now we aren't going to see him again. He will never walk into a room with a new joke to tell. He will never go into our back yard and inspect our plants and trees. He will never tell us the stories of growing up in Cuba.

We have lost other loved ones before, but for some reason this one is different. Perhaps we weren't ready. Perhaps it really never entered our minds that he wouldn't be here. He had such a presence and now...Perhaps it is because he was a big part of our lives, someone who lived less than 5 miles away and who we saw atleast twice a month.

How long will we grieve? I don't know.

"Father, your word says, "Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted." We need your comfort Lord. We have so much hope in you and we know that we will see Patuto again, but it still hurts Lord. You understand, father, you cried when your friend Lazurus died; You know our pain. Help us get through this. Help us remember our hope in you. Heal our hearts. In your precious name, Amen."