Today would have been my brother's 57th birthday. Our family honored the occasion much as we had in the past by giving my parents a gift. This year we chose mums for their front porch to accent their pumpkins well once they bloom. I enjoy picking out gifts in Bunk's memory as I can't give him anything in real life anymore. It gives me time to reflect on his impact on my life and the times that we shared together. I know that my parents appreciate the thought as well as my Mom posted pictures on Facebook this morning of the many gifts that we had given her over the years.
My Mom had told me earlier in the week that Bunk's birthday this year had been harder on her than in years past. I totally understood that as the last seven months have been extremely challenging to deal with as a whole. In never occurred to me when the pandemic started that it would cause so much unrest in our country. I knew that there would be a health crisis, but riots, protests, political unrest, and arguments about civil liberties never crossed my mind. There has been so much negativity recently that at times it definitely does get overwhelming.
I learned several life lessons from losing my brother at such a young age. They ranged from not taking anything for granted to learning that life can change on a dime. The most important life lesson that I learned, however, was compassion. As a legacy to my brother's memory I am proud to have passed that lesson on to the Heinisch children. They have all demonstrated this important character trait during these difficult times. I just wish that more people would come to realize that showing concern and empathy for others would be the best way to move forward during this tumultuous time period and leave the hate behind.
No comments:
Post a Comment