Reply To: I don't know if I can handle this . . .

oomis:

It took me a solid three years before I could even think of either of my parents without bursting into tears, and I am still emotional when I speak of either of them (even now, as I am typing this). But life goes on, as it is supposed to do, and you will get through this nisayon, daunting as it may feel right now.

I was having difficult day about two months after my Dad died, and a friend I saw in our makolet helped me put things in perspective. She said, “You’ll never lose the pain of the death of a parent, but over time you’ll adjust so that it’s at bearable levels.”

I wasn’t able to make it back to the states before my Dad died. (I was actually waiting for my flight in Ben Gurion airport when my wife called to tell me he’s passed.) I was able to make it back before my Mom died; I was with her for a week and a half, and was actually with her when she passed.