The Never Ending Egg Hunt
I knew it had to come at some point or another; I was just not ready for it. For the absence yesterday at the table, one less name on an egg, and no one to tell the Luke and Savannah where the eggs were hidden. It all just felt very wrong... This is the first holiday without you Timmy. And it showed.
Every one sat around at Marilyn and Rich's house talking about school, jobs, life, and all the usual ravishing family banter. But yet you could feel an under tone of uneasiness between everyone. It was obvious something was missing and no amount of small talk, family games, or food and candy could replace the empty space we all felt. It's still so new that no one knows if it's ok to bring up yet or not, so any conversation that leads to you is either turned in a new direction of conversation or quietly discussed among person to person.
Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Rich's house is a shrine to you, and it makes me sick to my stomach. Not out of disgust, but purely out of the fact that I had to look at all of your belongings and know that you're never going to use them again. That you wouldn't be showing up to Easter late with Abbey by your side. That you wouldn't tell the kids where the eggs were ahead of time like always. And frankly it sucks to have to keep reminding yourself of something that always seemed so sure. I felt like I was fine again and dealing with it all well until I saw your stuff, then it was all over. The wave of emotion flooded back over me, but I didn’t want to upset everyone else so I held it in. All day. Around everyone I saw. My family, my friends, Erik’s family, Erik himself, my roommate on the way home. Everyone.
I just don’t know how I’m going to do holidays... How any of us are for that matter. Because you were all that was on my mind today. And every time I leave a family function since your accident I get a million lectures on how I need to be safe driving home and to be careful, and to call so and so when I get in. And I know it’s all because they love me, and none of them could handle if something happened again. But I just feel scared to drive all the way home. So much can go wrong and we all know that. You can feel in their hugs and see in their eyes how concerned and scared they are for me to go back. And that’s heartbreaking. They shouldn’t have to worry to death whether or not another grandchild or niece or child is going to die on the way to or from school. That’s just unfair. They all hug me as if it may be the last time they get to and that’s terrifying to realize that your family is almost mentally preparing themselves just in case it happens again. And they’ll never tell you that, but something about their good byes are different now. More meaningful, maybe truthful and scared.
Either way. I hated driving home last night. I saw a wreck on the side of the road and it was exactly what I pictured yours to look like and it was horrific. I was coming back from a family event late at night just like you were. It just seemed all too familiar to what your last drive was like. And I had been holding in my tears all day because I’m supposed to be moving on at this point. Able to talk about it without water works. At least that’s what everyone tells me and seems to assume I’m already capable of doing. Which go figure.. I’m the most emotional person I know so I’m not there yet. I still wake up crying some mornings or late at night, or even tearing up in class or at dinner for no reason but you randomly popped into my head or someone did or said something you would’ve done. I keep myself hushed and hold it in so not to worry anyone. But that’s all it takes is one little thought to set it off.
Of all the holidays this one is one of the most vivid childhood ones of you and I. So maybe that’s why I’ve been worse recently. I don’t know.. Maybe it's because one of my favorite memories of you comes from this holiday. Egg hunting and you telling me where they were all hidden with out the adults knowing. and every year them being shocked and amazed at how fast I gathered and found the eggs. I owed it all to you. And so this year Alaina and I did the same for Luke and Savannah, keeping the silly kid tradition going.
So tell me Timmy, if I go out to hunt for eggs will I find you sitting in the woods with all the eggs already gathered up and that goofy smile on your face? Will I stumble upon you waiting for me to find you? Will you hug me tight and tell me it’s all going to be okay?
We all miss you Tim. Come visit me soon.