What's missing?

I've written about several things that I don't miss - things that left my life when John passed on.  Just to be fair, there are some things that I really do miss.

The first would be a good hug!  John was a large man and could wrap his arms around me for a big, comforting hug.  I realized very quickly that this was missing after he was gone.  Once I made this discovery, I figured out how to fix it.  I go to church with lots of wonderful people who have been there for me through thick and thin.  They are huggers for the most part, so all I had to do was offer a hug and get one in return.  Easy fix!

Another missing element was the handy-man that John was.  He was good at fixing things, hanging pictures, and taking care of things outside.  I never mowed the lawn or edged it.  I rarely changed light bulbs or air filters.  If I wanted something done I would ask him about it and he would figure out the best way.  Once again, I turned to my church family.  There are several men in the congregation who have the "honey-do" capability.  One of my door knobs had to be replaced, so all I had to do was ask and it was done.  They have also checked things like the vents and roof.  I also have my two sons who are old enough to be helpful.  They took over the lawn mowing and edging chores, and can be counted on for simple home maintenance chores, like changing air filters.  Luckily, Caleb had been taught by his father where things were and how they work.  I've had to pick his brain several times about different things that John used to take care of.  One thing I found out after John died was that he did not keep up with things as I thought he had.  Many of the routine maintenance items that go with owning a home had been neglected due to his poor health. It's been a challenge to get everything back to where it should be, but with the help from Evan, Caleb, and my friends at church it's much better than it was.

I also missed the news.  John always watched the news and would tell me what was going on in the world.  It irritated him that I didn't watch it, but at the same time, he enjoyed telling me because he could put his spin on the events, especially politics.  Luckily, we usually agreed on what candidates we supported!  I've now started watching the news in the morning while getting ready for work and I've found other people to talk about current events with. 

These may seem like simple, unimportant things to miss, but they're important to me.  We will all miss something different when a relationship ends for any reason. There are so many facets of a relationship that we easily take for granted, and when the relationship ends it's sometimes difficult to realize exactly what we've lost.  I challenge you to think about what you miss about a special person who has left your life.  Once you identify the missing element(s), figure out how to replace it to fill the hole in your life. You'll be happier when you do.

Thanks for taking this journey with me....more to come