It's been 2 years. 2 years since I received the most horrific phone call, telling me that there had been an accident.
That Verd was gone.
I remember the shock. The disbelief. The praying that it was all a bad mistake while simultaneously reminding myself that no one would make a mistake like this.
Two years.
The tears are less and less frequent, but when they come, they catch me so off guard that they steal my breath away. It might be a song on the radio, a word on a billboard, or a stranger walking on the street that so resembles Verd that I have to do a double take.
When they say time heals, I now know that it is true. The raw, gaping wounds have healed over, but the scar on our hearts remains. The thing about scars is they never go away, this scar will forever be on our hearts, a reminder of the amazing man we lost that tragic night two years ago.
His legacy lives on. His mark, left on our community forever. Just the other night we were at a hockey game, talking about names and Verd's wife said, "With Verd's name, you never knew another Verd, so when you mentioned him, you never had to use his last name, it was always just, 'Verd'."
Always just 'Verd'...not only because it is a unique name, but also, because that's the kind of guy he was. Present in his kids' lives, in the community, the schools, the church...always just 'Verd' because everyone knew Verd, and not only because of his name.
He was, truly, an amazing man.
An amazing man that is missed deeply, loved greatly, and will never, ever be forgotten.
That Verd was gone.
I remember the shock. The disbelief. The praying that it was all a bad mistake while simultaneously reminding myself that no one would make a mistake like this.
Two years.
The tears are less and less frequent, but when they come, they catch me so off guard that they steal my breath away. It might be a song on the radio, a word on a billboard, or a stranger walking on the street that so resembles Verd that I have to do a double take.
When they say time heals, I now know that it is true. The raw, gaping wounds have healed over, but the scar on our hearts remains. The thing about scars is they never go away, this scar will forever be on our hearts, a reminder of the amazing man we lost that tragic night two years ago.
His legacy lives on. His mark, left on our community forever. Just the other night we were at a hockey game, talking about names and Verd's wife said, "With Verd's name, you never knew another Verd, so when you mentioned him, you never had to use his last name, it was always just, 'Verd'."
Always just 'Verd'...not only because it is a unique name, but also, because that's the kind of guy he was. Present in his kids' lives, in the community, the schools, the church...always just 'Verd' because everyone knew Verd, and not only because of his name.
He was, truly, an amazing man.
An amazing man that is missed deeply, loved greatly, and will never, ever be forgotten.
I remember when you posted when he passed. :( So sorry. We're approaching the 2 year anniversary of my father in law's passing and this July will be the 3rd anniversary of my dad's passing. The scars really don't go away, but it does hurt less. Like you, I find myself weeping out of the blue sometimes even 2 or 3 years later. Hugs!
ReplyDeleteHugs* He seems like a special man that graced this earth. He's fortunate to live in your memories and love.
ReplyDeleteIt does not seem like it has been 2 years. Your writting made everyone feel close to him
ReplyDeleteHugs to you and your family. I remember your posting when he passed away. It's hard to believe that it's been 2 years. You're all in my thoughts tonight.
ReplyDeleteHugs to you and your family! The 10yr anniversary of my StepDads passing just past, and it still feels like it happened yesterday.
ReplyDelete