Amy passed away six months ago today. With the passage of these months, the immediate trauma of her death has subsided slightly, replaced by happier memories of her beaming smile and infectious laugh. That said, we miss her more each day, as we fully comprehend what it means to not have her in our lives, but to still see her everywhere around us – in the faces of family and friends, in the traditions we continue in her memory and the adventures that she would have cherished.
I am blessed to have boys that relish life, much like Amy. They want to laugh, to be active, to be boys. Though their sorrow is visible in their eyes, their resiliency and strength have been remarkable – qualities that Amy instilled in them for years. We love to tell stories about her. Henry and I recently met with a counselor, who during the meeting tried to gauge Henry’s willingness to engage and talk about Mom, so he asked Henry to tell a story. A smile emerged from ear-to-ear as Henry retold a story heard over the dinner table – how on our honeymoon, scuba diving miles offshore, Mom got left alone, surrounded by sharks, hundreds of yards away from the boat. Crazy Mom (not-happy Mom at the time!).
We are grateful to all of you who keep her and us in your thoughts, and for the many notes reflecting on how Amy continues to impact your lives. For us, it’s been a busy winter, just like prior winters – skiing, travel, over-committing ourselves and then collapsing periodically into a good book in front of the fire. We have not been able to carve out time to see everyone that we’d like, but being in constant motion is how our family has always lived.
Looking down the road, we are hoping to gather friends together to remember Amy this fall. Details to be confirmed, but we are targeting September 23rd to do a trail run in the Hamilton area, likely starting and ending at Appleton Farms. The rough idea would be to do an afternoon race, offering multiple distances, and then have food and beverages afterwards. Recognize this is a busy time of year, but racing, eating and drinking are all things she enjoyed, so hopefully an appropriate way to acknowledge the anniversary of her passing and to celebrate her life.
Thank you again for all the love and support.
P.S. here is the link to Henry’s speech at the Memorial Service for those who missed it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiAu1qC1YEE
