My Granda Kerr passed away in early 2024. It was heartbreaking, though not unexpected, given his declining health over the past few years. I was fortunate enough to visit him in the hospital a few times before he passed, sharing some good chats and laughs. We talked about sports, TV, family, and even tattoos. Seeing him so frail was strange, but I’m grateful for the time we spent together.
His funeral gave me the chance to reconnect with my cousins. As we’ve all gotten older, our lives have gotten busier, and we haven’t checked in on each other as much. Though the day was heavy with emotion, it planted the seeds for us to start reaching out and hanging out more often.
Then, in August 2024, we were stunned once again by the passing of my Granny Kerr. It was another devastating blow to our family. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to spend as much time with her as I would have liked before she was promoted to glory—something I’ll have to live with.
At her funeral, we had another opportunity to strengthen the bonds we had begun to rebuild at my Granda’s funeral. This time, the conversations with my cousins were more familiar. From there, new events were planned, hobbies were started together, and a more regular sense of community grew between us.
I don’t imagine it was my grandparents’ intention for their passing to leave me this way, but I am deeply grateful that their celebration of life has blossomed into a stronger connection with my cousins, uncles, and immediate family.
I was an emotional mess after both funerals. I’ve been fortunate in life not to have experienced much death, so the grief hit me harder than I expected—sudden and all at once. Looking back at photos of my grandparents still fills me with sadness, but more than that, my heart is full of joy for the memories I have. They’ve been on my mind a lot lately.
I will miss my Granda and Granny, but I’m grateful for the way their memory has brought our family closer. Grief is never easy, but it’s helped me realize how important it is to stay connected with the people we love. Their legacy will live on in the bonds we’ve strengthened together.
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