Maya Road and Me

Warrior Dash

It is hard to believe that it has been a month now since my dad passed away. In ways it seems longer and there are moments when it feels like it just has happened.

As we have been settling back into our new normal now, I finally got to run the Warrior Dash I signed up for last weekend.

It was a family and friends thing for us. Here is Noah all dressed up as a Warrior:

My gal wasn't too happy to be there but she was ok if I was holding her:

For those that do not know what the Warrior Dash is, it is your basic 5k mud run. And when they say mud they mean MUD - check out this pile of shoes that were to be donated from the runners the day before:

During the course of the run there is a series of about 12 obstacles for you to get through before you finish the 5k. The obstacles were as simple as running over a big series of man made hills or as difficult as crawling through mud with barbed wire overhead.

So we got ready for the start:

And then we got into the chute to begin:

And well here is what the end looked like:

Yes that is me crawling through a bit of mud:

And yes I was a bit covered in the process:

At the end of the race, I had an amazing time. I finished in the top 10% of my age group for the day and I know my dad is smiling down from Heaven thinking I am crazy to which I can smile and say "hey I get the crazy from you, dad!".\ I know he would be proud of me no matter what. In the past it would have been for academics, etc but now it is for the person I have become - mud and all.

 

Every Day...

It has been close to three weeks since my dad passed away. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has sent us cards, flowers and I have amazing friends who have dropped by to say hello and to bring us dinner. At times I am overwhelmed by what my dad has left behind. He was always so sunny (well 99% of the time) and just full of sprite and spirit that there is well just a bit of a void here since he has gone. There is no way around it since he was just so full of life.

But each day gets better. I know that the hardest part of all for processing all of this is for my mom. They were together many many years. I am sure all the little things remind my mom that my dad isn't here anymore. At the same time as we get all her affairs in order, we can see her thinking about a future without my dad. It is just little whispers at this time of hope but at lesat it is still there. 

My days have been filled since my last post with getting projects and products ready for CHA. Half the time while my dad was sick, I felt like I was just surviving with everything I needed to do. But thankfully, I am surrounded by an amazing team and amazing friends who help me when I need it. I am not good about asking for help but I have at this time. It is hard but I will survive. We all do.

I have filled my time with work and my family and also creating:

We are having a blog swap this week at Maya Road and I wanted to create something that documented my parents with their 5 grandchildren. This will be posted later this week on the DT blog.

And this weekend, I am participating in a mud run called the Warrior Dash. Just something to keep my mind off of things but happy to be joined by friends for this run. A 3.24 mile run with about 14 obstacles to overcome. 

And mostly we are all starting to breathe again and live life. My family has started planting flowers in our yard. My kids are playing outside. My mom is starting to enjoy her time with her grandkids. Just the little things we didn't really have time for while my dad was sick. And when there are times I miss my dad, I remember that he really isn't that far away. I look at my kids and even sometimes at myself and realize that we have some of his crazy genes and joy for life and I smile. And I know my dad is smiling down from Heaven too.

 

New Beginnings

My dad passed away last week. 

David, my mom and I were able to spend the entire day with him and were there the moment he died. 

He went peacefully and even in the end, there was no pain for him.

As much as we were filled with sorrow, we knew that he wasn't able to be the jolly and happy fellow he has always been.

We know based on what we believe that he is in a better place. A place in Heaven where my Dad can speak again (one of his favorite activities he couldn't really do the last couple of months of his life).

My kids know. They ask questions about God and Heaven and we answer for them as honestly as we can but with the tenderness shown to a 5 year old and 2 year old.

It is a time for new beginnings once again. And it hard for my mom. We now begin the process to help her decide what she wants to do in the future. She has moved back in with my family and we are going through the process. Before my dad died, I know she was wrapped up in caring for him and making sure he was ok. 

It will be a while before we find ourselves in a normal place again. And while I don't grieve with many tears, my runs are full of memories of my dad and such.

I also worked on a layout this week - just something right after my dad passed away to help me process my feelings and thoughts:

This picture taken only 2.5 years ago seems like a lifetime ago. But I am grateful for the time we had together and the promise of our belief of life eternal.

Tomorrow is a new day and a day to remember to enjoy our time together with those we love.