Trying to Get Back In The Saddle... Again

Hi folks,

Many thanks for the prayers offered up to me and my family. We're doing okay. Not great, not fantastic, but we're doing okay. It's been really hard on Terri because Lou was her very best friend in the whole world. It kills me that when I see Terri, I see a shell of her former self. I can see how the vibrancy has gone right out of her. She is trying really hard to be positive for the sake of the rest of the family, especially the nephews... but it's definitely not the same for her. And she's the strongest woman I know! My family seems to be dealing with it as best we can. But there seems to be a piece missing from each of us. And we all know what or rather, who, it is that we're missing. When we went and met with the pastor of our church to do Lou's memorial service, my other sister looks at me and says "I really don't know how people can go through any of this without having faith". I had to agree. It was pretty rough but knowing where Lou is now, that gave us a great deal of comfort. I can't imagine my life without faith anymore. It has allowed me the wherewithal to accept that Lou is in Heaven and that despite the pain of losing her, I don't wish her back for one second. I don't want her back here suffering. I want her in paradise, enjoying life everlasting. Terri got up during the service and delivered a eulogy for the ages. As a number of folks came up to us and said... "I've never laughed so hard and cried so hard at the same time." That was the effect that Lou had on our lives, day to day. As I said at the service in church, "she's where we all hope to be one day..."