sillytriumphdragon

[sillytriumphdragon]

[sillytriumphdragon]

[sillytriumphdragon]

[sillytriumphdragon]

A day which lay sly and unseen

~Tess of the d'Ubervilles

[sillytriumphdragon]

[sillytriumphdragon]

Life is cruel. We want something different, something better. We try to make it so, but things often turn out far beyond our expectations or imagination. Life shows us, again and again, that living is not easy. It puts us through one test after another, and each new test feels harder than the last, making us think the previous one wasn’t as bad as it seemed.

Along the way, we lose many treasures in this one life, some of which are gone forever. We continue living without the people we never thought we could live without. We experience all the colors of life before death. Maybe death is easier, and those who left are now in a better place.

[sillytriumphdragon]

[sillytriumphdragon]

"We lost someone today. You’d think I’d be used to it after all this time, even callous toward it. A few years ago I was. I have no idea what’s changed lately, but now it feels like every loss is exponentially harder than the last. Or maybe they’re the same, but I’m different. More angry."

Rebecca Yarros, The Last Letter

[sillytriumphdragon]

[sillytriumphdragon]

I read in a novel, Reminders of Him, when Kenna said:

“There was before you, and there was during you. For some reason, I never thought there would be an after you.”

~ Colleen Hoover, Reminders of Him

For parents, it’s more like:

“There was only during you. I never thought there would be an after you.”

[sillytriumphdragon]

My Dear father,

Happy birthday. Even though you’re no longer here in this world, I want to wish you a happy birthday. This place isn’t the same without you, but I know you’re in a beautiful place now. There must be gardens filled with flowers, and you must be enjoying the most delicious food. I believe you’re happy and at peace.

I miss you so much, and I often cry because you’re not with us anymore. All we have left are memories, but they fill my mind every day. I think about you all the time, and I wish I had told you more often how amazing you were. You were such a great father—responsible, caring, and loving in your own unique way. The world lost someone incredibly special when we lost you, someone so pure and innocent.

I wish I could bring you back to us forever. I’m wishing you a happy birthday today because you still live in my heart. I feel your presence, like you’re still sitting on the sofa with us, eating and talking. I’ll keep your memory alive until my last breath, until we meet again in the next world, where we’ll be together forever.

Your daughter,

Anum

[sillytriumphdragon]

*"There was before you and there was during you. For some reason, I never thought there would be an after you."*

Colleen Hoover, Reminders of Him

[sillytriumphdragon]

*"Maybe it doesn’t matter whether something is a coincidence or a sign. Maybe the best way to cope with the loss of the people we love is to find them in as many places and things as we possibly can. And in the off chance that the people we lose are still somehow able to hear us, maybe we should never stop talking to them."*

Colleen Hoover, Reminders of Him

[sillytriumphdragon]

I once had two angels in my life—my parents—but now one of them resides in heaven. The pain of his absence is deep, knowing my dad is no longer with us.

[sillytriumphdragon]

The sky got another beautiful star. Thank you for everything, my beloved father. You were the best father and a wonderful human being. I know in my heart that you are enjoying heaven and are at peace. But please don't forget us. We miss you with every breath we take. You may no longer live in this world, but you will live in my heart forever. You will remain there until my last breath. I am no longer afraid of death because I know that after death, we will be reunited.

Until we meet again in heaven. I will tell you in heaven how much I love you and what a wonderful father you were.

[sillytriumphdragon]

[sillytriumphdragon]