Sunday, April 20, 2008

About the name . . .

As I mentioned in the introductory section of my blog, there are a couple of roles in my life that the name "Captain Brodad Unkabuddy" does not include. Have you figured out what they are yet? Well, let me help you out if you haven't. The two roles are "son" and "husband".

I miss both of those roles a great deal. I haven't been a son since 1992 when my mother died of throat cancer on Christmas Day. Time does heal. There is no doubt about it. But there have been times in recent history when I could have used the comfort of a mother's love. She died much too young at 61. She would be 79 years old had she lived until today. I miss her.

The other role missing from the name is "husband". I grieve the loss of that role also. Time is healing, but sometimes I wake up thinking that role is still a part of who I am and then suddenly realize it's gone. It's so bizarre. I look forward to the day when I get through an entire day, week, month without thinking about the end of my 22 year marriage. I know someday it will come.

Our roles are in constant transition and never really stay the same. We go from child to adult to husband/wife to parent to empty nesters to single to parenting our parents to grandparents to children again and then it ends. Our jobs change, our homes change, and our friends change. One day we're wealthy, the next we're not. Children who should outlive us die. One thing I'm learning is take nothing for granted and have gratitude for the blessings in my life today. Rejoice in each day and take time to smell the roses, even if it means an occasional thorn in your nose.

2 comments:

Mike West said...

Great post, great advice. Thanks!

Lyndsey said...

I really love that last line. Thanks for being open and sharing. you are an awesome uncle, and one thing I know is that when something from our life is taken from us God always blesses us with something new.