His love was ever present but quiet…still in it they found relief…so it only stands to reason he’d be quiet in his grief.
There are no rules for dealing with death…which is why, after his wife died,…despite his heart being broken…despite his sorrow…despite all this…he never cried.
His children and friends would visit…wanting to help…and in so many ways they tried…but in spite of their friendship and love…in spite of the sorrow hiding in his heart…in spite of all this…he never cried.
In his mind it was quite simple…there was one hope he kept leaning on…for in spite of what he knew to be true…he could’t accept that she was gone.
After 40 years together he kept hoping…dreaming she would walk through their front door…and greet him with a smile as she’d done a million times before.
Hoping what had happened couldn’t possibly be true…that it must be a mistake…a big misunderstanding…a dream from which he will awake.
In his own time he did come to realize his life would never return to the same track…that his wife is gone forever…that she’ll never be coming back.
On that day…
the day he understood she would no longer be there to hold his hand…
to whisper in his ear…
to look at him wide-eyed…
that is the day he grabbed his heart…
fell to his knees…
that is the day…
he cried.