Since day one

As I remembered Dad, I wrote the book.

On the five-year anniversary of my father’s death, I began to write. But the journey to portray my father’s legacy would prove to be as arduous and mysterious as the topic of death itself. It would take another five years to process the ache “out loud” that has been embedded in my being. But as in all things, God’s timing is perfect.

Looking back, I feel my father’s words, “We are so much more connected than we think.” Many conversations with others about my father’s death yielded rich stories of their own experiences resulting from the deaths of their loved ones. Stories of sadness and pain, but also revelations as they remembered.

Author Henri Nouwen in Our Greatest Gift says, “Our death may be the end of our success, our productivity, our fame, or our importance among people, but it is not the end of our fruitfulness. In fact, the opposite is true: the fruitfulness of our lives shows itself in its fullness only after we have died.” It has been through the many conversations with others as I was writing this book that I have come to more fully appreciate the gifts of death.

The word remember derives its meaning from “re” (back again), and “member” (a part of an organized whole). For me, remembering with others has been a way to not only see the end of my father’s life, but its fullness, which continues to reveal meaning in my own life.

I am immensely grateful to all of those who have shared their stories with me during my journey. And I pray that 100 DAYS | Dying to Tell His Story will invite you to remember your own stories in new and life-giving ways.