Smile for Todd
Updated: Jan 7, 2022
First I would like to say THANK YOU, to the many people that reach out, read, and react to Bec's Blog on the Journey. It helps me feel a sense of connection, something needed when grief is present, especially during the unimaginable events of 2020.
Since the last post, Cry for Todd, left many of those that communicated with me either in tears themselves or in deep thought, I thought it appropriate to provide insight into the countless events and thoughts that make us all Smile for Todd! The intense feelings around missing someone so much that tears become a regular part of your daily life go hand in hand with the memories of laughter and smiles.
For me, smiles happen when I look through his journals and see drawings scattered throughout. Drawings of people that have influenced him over the years...
drawings of what he sees and hears while sitting on our back porch...
drawings of things he appreciates...
and drawings of anything Star Wars...
Smiles happen for me when the girls and I share stories of funny things their "Pa" did over the years that still relate to things we do today. For example, just the other day, Caroline shared how her dad never hesitated to go full force any time she needed something for a school project. She shared the time they bought clay to add to a styrofoam head to transform the face into Nelson Mandela because they couldn't find a styrofoam face that was even close to what was needed. Maggie shared a story of the first time she had chai tea. It was the day that her dad kept her home from school because our sweet cat Elsie died and Maggie was having a difficult time with the loss. Todd took her to get lunch, some place with food that Maggie had never heard of, and to this day...it is some of her favorite!
Along with drawings and stories, photos throughout the years always bring a smile.
Here is the link to the video that was played at Todd's Celebration. While this video always brings some tears to my eyes, many of the tears are from laughing, just as Todd states in the journal entry at the beginning of this post.
Please feel free to share a memory of Todd that makes you smile! You can add to the chat section on the blog!