Joe Di Trolio
My brother passed away on August 7, 2007. It was unexpected, although he endured many complications after a second surgery to remove two tumours on his brain stem caused by Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome. This entire week is a tough one, since it is like a play-by-play of events that led up to his passing and the excruciating pain/shock during the funeral.
I have been fortunate up till now to never have experienced grief of this magnitude. My grandfather died 4 years ago tragically, and even though it was difficult, I wasn’t very close to him. He was 74..my brother was 31. I am dealing with the grief day by day, week by week. It is a definite roller coaster ride. The hardest part is watching my boys suffer with grief.
I came across a poem today that words my grief beautifully. It is so hard to describe the pain in words, so I am grateful to have found the words here.
~~Grief is Like a River~~
My grief is like a river,
I have to let it flow,
but I myself determine
just where the banks will go.
Some days the current takes me
in waves of hurt and pain,
but there are always quiet pools
where I can rest again.
I crash on rocks of anger;
my faith seems faint indeed,
but there are other swimmers
who know that what I need
Are loving hands to hold me
when the waters are too swift,
and someone kind to listen
when I just seem to drift.
Grief’s river is a process
of relinquishing the past.
By swimming in hope’s channels,
I’ll reach the shore at last.
~~ By Cinthia G. Kelley
