Too Soon

Last Friday started out normally, but mid-morning I received a call telling me my 29-year-old niece had passed away. Suddenly everything changed. The errands I had planned to do were no longer important. There were phone calls to make, a schedule to clear, spare bedrooms to make up for company, a house to toddler-proof, and extra food to buy and prepare. It was nice to be busy, though, because that meant I didn't have to think about the horrific situation. I only had to focus about the task at hand. In between jobs I read the tributes that were being written about my niece on Facebook.

On Tuesday both Hubby Tony and I made a trip to the airport. Son Brian and Grandson Jay arrived mid afternoon (DIL Nicole was in the middle of a serious prior commitment and couldn't come). Son Tony and fiancee Ie got in after dinner. Wednesday, the day of the viewing, Son Donald came in from school. It was good to hang out with everyone, and a couple of times I almost forgot what had brought us all together. All too soon, though, it was time to get ready to drive to the funeral parlor.

The viewing was traumatic. My sister in law and the young lady's siblings looked shell shocked. There were a couple of pleasant moments, though. I got to see my six month old great-nephew and talk with several people I hadn't seen in a long time. Somehow we all made it though the night and headed home. Donald headed back to school because he had a morning class to prepare for.

This morning everyone else got up and ate breakfast. Jay had a large group of adults to play with while his dad got their things packed up. When it was time for them to I drove them to the airport. Later in the day Tony and I made another trip to the airport. We stopped for dinner on the way home, then I started the process of getting everything back to normal. My heart isn't in it, though. At the rate I'm moving it will take me much longer to undo the work than it did to do it.