I was raised to say, “Thank you,” when gratitude was in order, and I did a pretty good job of that growing up. In my mind, I knew the importance that those two little words held, but I never understood their gravity. I didn’t get it until they were the only two words I could find to say to people after the death of my son. That phrase is so much more than just two words or eight letters. It is there for you when you have nothing else to say.
Thank You to My Husband
You did everything you could to help calm me as I laid there in the eye of the storm. You were hanging on by your pinky, yet you never wavered as my stronghold. You made choices and completed necessary tasks by yourself as I recuperated from my c-section. You cried with me and you cried for me. When I couldn’t kneel, you got on your knees. All I ever had to show you how grateful I truly was, was “thank you.”
As month after month and year after year passes, I find new things that I want to do or have or build in honor of our son. Sometimes you smile at the idea; other times you just shake your head at me, but no matter your initial reaction, you always support me. Your understanding of my new journey is what breathes life back into me, a little at a time. I know you put your hurt and your grief to the side to care for mine, but please know that your heart is in mine when I have moments of healing and peace.
Related Post: Grief, Positivity, and Gratitude – Can They Coexist?
Thank You to My Daddy
Everything that I believe in my core comes from you. Few words were said in that labor and delivery room, but your presence said it all. You have taught me my faith, and never judged me when I doubted it. You walked behind me on the day we buried him, and held me up when I began to falter. Over the years, you’ve given me constant encouragement and affirmation that I am a good mother, and am doing what’s right for all three of my boys. Your willingness to speak his name and do things for him, as you do for your other grandsons, is something that I could never truly express my gratitude for. All I have is “thank you.”
Related Post: A Lesson in Gratitude
Gratitude
Those words are simple, yet their message isn’t. There are words and phrases that tend to lose sincerity when used too much. “Thank you” isn’t one of those. If you ever wonder why a grieving mother, father, grandparent, sibling, or friend continually says it to you, it’s because they mean it. He or she is grateful for your heart, your shoulder, your tears, your acknowledgment, and your time. When they felt empty, you filled a space. Maybe it was just in that moment, but a lifetime is really just a string of moments. You allowed them to have one less moment in their new life filled with emptiness. Thank you.
Who are you thankful for supporting you after loss?
Feature Photo by Cristiane Teston on Unsplash
I am a mother of 3 boys, a wife, and a teacher. Anytime I get to talk about my sweet Wyatt, I know he is smiling. I want the conversation about child loss to not be one that we are scared of. We can learn so much from each other by talking, writing, or simply just being with one another.
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