I was lying in bed when I received the call. It was the call everyone dreads. Someone close to me had passed away unexpectedly. It shocked all of us. At the time, I was thriving. I was pursuing opportunities on my own terms. But it was my duty to return home and support others, even though it would turn my world upside down.
Grief settled in quickly. Anxiety followed me throughout the day. Sometimes I went numb. My body kept shutting down. I was surrounded by familiar people, but all I wanted was for the pain to stop. Not just for me, but for all of us. The grief was overwhelming. We had no choice but to embrace it.
Friends and family came together to help out. We had many gatherings, full of laughter, the kind of moments the person we lost would have wanted. There was deep gratitude for their life and immense generosity from those around us. Someone managed all the supportive cards and facebook messages from everyone he knew. I’ll always remember and honor the people who stood by us du…