Life is too short

On Monday May 23rd my world was turned upside down, when around 5 o'clock I got a phone call from Adam saying that "dad is gone". I had been talking to Adam all day, getting updates about what the oncologist/nephrologist/hospitalist were doing making sure everyone was staying on top of Bruce's condition. Sadly, the Lord took my father in law home and happily without having to suffer from this metastatic bladder cancer to his liver.
You see I think of Bruce as my dad not my father in law. Adam and I have been together for almost 12 years and in that time I have grown to love him as a dad. He made me special dinners in high school so that I would come eat dinner with them as he knew I was a picker eater. I lived with Bruce and Luanne on the weekends in college while I worked night shift and later for 2 months while I did rotations in Toccoa. They came down frequently for dinners way more than my parents combined. He was in fact my dad and there is no doubt in my mind he thought of me as his daughter. On Saturday, when I rushed to the hospital after hearing the results of the ct scan and the "6 months to live speech" I was ready to just ball my eyes out, Bruce said don't worry we are going to beat this and my worries were gone.
As I write this a little over a week later, it still does not seem real that he is gone. I am sad, but have a certain peace that I know only God can provide. I am humbled by the amount of love, prayers, cards, calls that have come our way in a time when the 3 of us were completely crumbled. We had to make decisions we never thought we would have to make at such a young age, but we managed. And when we laughed that Bruce would kill us if we spent 6K on a casket we still cried as we picked out another one. When it was time to go to the viewing and the 3 of us gathered outside the room with our whole family (waters, Mitchell's and nelsons) we bravely went in to see Bruce's earthly body. As we each had a breaking moment somehow we stayed strong for one another. It was the most humbling experience to greet over 300 people some of which didn't know us or even Bruce. Some were old friends, coworkers, buyers and distant family which brought lots of tears to our eyes as we hugged and mourned the loss of Bruce. Others were old teachers who taught Bruce, old football teammates who hadn't talked to Bruce in years but had great stories to tell. One lady was Bruce's moms neighbor for many years and there kids played together. She didn't know us but wanted us to know how full of life Bruce was and how much he will be missed. This seemed to be a recurring theme in what people said and towards the end we were still sad, but proud to have known such a great man and had been honored to be called his wife and children.
On Thursday when we laid his body to rest and the same preacher who married us did the funeral he again said how full of life Bruce was and how proud Bruce was of all of us. His brothers did joke that grandma waters had some pull up in heaven as she wanted her baby with her proving that Bruce was her favorite. Andy (the preacher) told us at the graveside that Bruce was not here only his earthly body as he is in fact in heaven (as we all know) and this grave is to act as a memorial. As the 3 of us stand there hours after the funeral holding each other, we agree that it is just that. We discuss how this is going to be hard, some days worse then other, but we must remember the good times. We will never eat a meal without thinking of him, as he cooked so many meals for us, and taught Adam how to make the things we eat in our house.

As you all read this, remember that life is short and its never to early to start planning for the unexpected. And remember to tell your love ones you love them dearly as you never know when their last day on this earth will be.