Thanks For The Box

A box of Ryan's things arrived in the mail this week. I realize how hard it was for them to go through the stuff and pack it up for us. The stuff that he left behind will never replace having him with us. But it is important to keep his possessions so Elissa will have something to hang onto that was her Daddy's.

Ironically, of all my kids Ryan was the one that cherished my Dad's stuff. He even went through a cowboy phase in high school and would wear Dad's shirts and belts. It was important to him even though he was 2 when my Dad died. Ry even used one of my Dad's wallets. This was not only special to him but mattered greatly to my Mom and me. It just felt like, although Dad was gone for years there was still that connection.

When we lost Ron's brother, Dan, when he was 25 years old in a plane crash he had a bag of personal belongings on another plane. Since he was coming home for Christmas there were gifts for us among his things. I wore the puzzle ring he sent me for the past 25 years. It mattered to me to remember the connection we shared and the ring helped.

So this modest box of clothes and papers don't amount to much except that it was our Ryan's. There is nothing in this box that is as treasured as the videos of him laughing and just being Ry, but these will be folded up and tucked away for Elissa, his most cherished daughter.

In Him,
Joyful
11-11-2010