For the past two months, 74 posts total, you have journeyed along with me as I’ve relived and retold the story of my dad’s (Papa’s) journey with brain cancer.  Now as I came to the end of that story, the story involving the last two months of his life, and then his death, I find myself grieving all over again, grieving Papa, and grieving the end of this journey once more.

About two and a half months ago, I was talking with a friend of mine (one of those DPSG members) about this story, how I had most of it written except for the last few posts, how I’d planned to publish it soon, but how I was struggling with the end.  I was hesitant to make the leap… to officially publish it before everything was “just so.”

But my friend encouraged me to just dive in, that at some point those last posts would fall into place and that, in the meantime, I should just start publishing the posts I’d already written.

And so I did, and here I am, with “Day 75-77” I find myself at the “end:”  the end of the daily journey I’ve written with all its texts and emails and notes and photos and memories.

Yet, with that being said, this isn’t the end of this story.  Papa’s earthly journey may be over, but mine certainly isn’t.  And I’m so glad of that.  I thank God for that.  For lIfe has continued and God has been good and He’s proven Himself faithful even in the wake of very difficult circumstances and aching loss.

So you can expect to see several more posts, after-the-fact reflections on the process of working through grief, the support of so many friends, God’s signs of faithfulness in the midst of it, and more.  These posts will not be coming daily though, and I appreciate your patience in the process : )

Thank you for journeying with me in this, for those who journeyed with me “back then” during those two+ months, and those who have just recently walked along side me as you’ve read each post. Don’t be discouraged; this indeed is not the end.  The journey continues, and with it comes hope; hope and much more.