Five Minute Friday- “Absence”

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Here I go.

There is so much in my heart right now. Conveying a message of absence is difficult.

I am one of thousands of parents swimming through living grief.

What is living grief, you ask?

It is mourning the loss of a loved one who still lives. I wake up every morning to an absence I never prepared for. How do parents ever prepare their hearts for moments like this? Addiction continues to steal precious lives.

I do not mind mornings. I am alone and can be wherever my thoughts take me. Lately, they travel down memory lane. I remember shopping with my best friend. We enjoyed finding ways to stick to a budget as part of a game. I remember watching stupid reality TV shows and laughing together. My laugh changes from day to day. Often, it doesn’t exist.

I tried, but her absence broke me. My effort to put the pieces back together has not gone well.

Once cracked, they never fit quite right, you know?

“Where are you?”

“Are you warm? Cold? Fed?”

I cry in the quiet of the morning mist. No one sees me, and no one knows. The private mourning I do remains mine.

People ask me about you all the time. They continue to pray and wait for your healing. Maybe you’ve received it and are too angry to share it with me. Perhaps not, and you aren’t eager to share that either.

Whatever it is, your absence crushes me. I keep it locked away. People couldn’t handle my mess anymore; it was too heavy. I understand, but now there’s an unavoidable absence in those relationships, too. I heard addiction does that.

I love you with all my heart. Every fiber in me clings to hope and holds onto you. In my mind, you’re never far away. My heart knows the difference.

Love,

Mom

10 Replies to “Five Minute Friday- “Absence””

  1. There is pain we cannot see
    veiled behind the eyes you turn
    to the world, for few can be
    worthy of trust they must earn.
    They speak in happy-thought cliche
    and offer day-old casserole
    and think they have found the way
    to duct-tape fix your shattered soul
    that you must now in care protect
    against the endless aching loss,
    for platitudes at end reject
    both Calvary and rough-hewn Cross
    on which in these days you hang
    right next to the Son of Man.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. My heart goes out to you, Lisa.
    Prayers for comfort and peace, restoration of your relationship with your daughter, and that she would find healing and victory in Jesus over the chains that bind her.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. oh, that’s such a tough one. I hope that somehow God can reach through the addiction and bring them back to you. my heart just wants to hug you and say it will be alright, but I don’t want my words and heart to be meaningless. Lean on God more through your pain and know tonight a prayer is said. FMF 15

    Liked by 1 person

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