saying goodbye

Life is short, and life is sweet. Words that were spoken at my great uncle's funeral today. So true, and not always recognized by many.

My great uncle's death was an unexpected thing. Death is never an easy thing to deal with or understand. Even though it was over a year ago when my grandpa died, there are days when I still feel the loss. Today I not only felt the loss of my Uncle Fred, but of his brother, my grandpa. Fred, in so many ways, was so similar to my grandpa. He looked like grandpa, sounded like him, and also said the same kind of unique sayings. Fred had that soft-hearted way about him, like all the Williams men do- including my grandpa, dad, and brother. But one thing that set Fred apart from the other Williams men, was his way of holding a toothpick perfectly on the tip of his bottom lip. It was a skill that amazed me as a child. Fred, like my grandpa was a phone talker. I remember that my grandpa called the house every day. Fred called dad often to see how things were going down here - even after my grandparents died. It must be a Williams thing, cause I have also been known to talk on the phone a bit. :)

As I paid my final respects to Fred and saw him one last time today, it was almost like I was looking at my grandpa again. This did make saying goodbye harder. But it also made me realize that the ones we love are never truly gone. They stay with us. They live in each person who they touched somehow in their lifetime. Grandpa lived in Fred because he impacted his life, just as grandpa did my dad, brother, and myself. This will not be the last time that I see an instant of grandpa, or even Fred. They live in those of us who love them. And one day I will see them again. But for now, I thank the Lord for the gift of the memories and love that we can still feel.