I am honored to share this poem written by my mother-in-law, Nancy Schweingruber. Three years ago on September 12 she stood by her beloved husband, Don, and watched him take his last breath. Her words capture a story of grief and deep love. We miss you every day, Don, and treasure the time we had with you. And to my mother-in-law, thank you for sharing your heart so others can draw hope from your love and courage.

SEPTEMBER 12^th

By Nancy R. Schweingruber

September 12th.
Three long years without the man I love,
The man I shared my life with for fifty years.

Three years of learning to live alone,
To figure out how to handle things around the house,
To be a single woman among couples,
To make financial decisions.

Three years of sleeping alone in our double bed.

Three years of having to get on an airplane to visit family when I am terrified of flying.

Three years of celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, Holidays and special occasions without him.

Three years of going to our granddaughters’ sporting events, recitals, and school programs without him by my side.

Three years of not having him there to talk with, share with, laugh with.  So many things happen that I want to discuss with him.

Three years of going to church and missing him sitting there beside me.

Three years of missing Don every day.

Three long years of health challenges…
Two nasty falls,
Reverse shoulder surgery,
Vein bypass procedure,
Hip replacement,
Time spent recuperating in a nursing home.

Three years of so much love and support from my family and friends.

Three years of trusting God and knowing He is with me.

And, even though my life will never be the same,
I will not waste the years that God has given me.
I know that I have done well,
I have managed,
I have survived.
My work is not finished yet.
And in my heart I know that Don would be proud.

Nancy R. Schweingruber
September, 2018