Sadness is a profound emotion.

It's the beating in your chest that is so loud you can hear it. It's tears that pour out of your eyes when you least expect it. It's the feeling that someone is standing on your heart.

Sadness is profound. Sadness is what happens when someone you love passes.

When the phone rings at 3am, it's rarely a good call. Last Wednesday night, my husband lost his grandfather. That night I saw my very strong husband cry.

I met Orin 8 months after Adam and I started dating. It was Adam's oldest sisters wedding. It was such a beautiful wedding. It was Adam and my first real event together as a couple. We were dancing the night away. I looked over and saw Orin sitting at his table watching the happy couples dance. I went over and little did Adam know he had lost his dance partner for the night. I danced with Orin.

Every family wedding after that, I danced with Orin. It was the highlight.

Orin was a father, husband, grandfather, great-grandfather and dance partner. I feel so lucky to have married into such an amazing family.

This weekend we ventured back to Omaha to celebrate his life, I will always remember him and how much he meant to my husband, my in-laws and me.

He is to be celebrated.

Today is he dancing in Heaven with his lovely wife. Today, while we may be mourning him, we will be celebrating his life, because he lived a life worth celebrating.

This ones dedicated to all those family members that left us too soon. Grandpa Orin, Grandpa Horst, Grandma Grace, Grandma Pat, Grandma Jack. And all the others. 

Sadness is profound, but remembering someone, loving someone is even more profound.

Here's to remembering. 

Today I got the call that I've been dreading for a long time now. My grandpa had a stroke, second one in two weeks. If you can imagine, those words took me about 20 minutes, a phone call to Coti, a phone call from my dad and a hug from Adam to write. I understand how life works, people get old, things happen and they die... but (knock on wood) in my 24+ years of life I have been so blessed to not have anyone in my family die. So, I'm new at this. I'm learning how to grapple with the fact that my grandpa is currently fighting for his life, and things don't look good. My grandpa lives in Michigan and I haven't had the chance to see him in about a year and a half, so not being able to be with him is the worst part of it all. I just wish I could give him a hug, tell him how much I love him and comfort him. But, from Omaha, Nebraska, I will say my prayers, write this blog and a letter to him and learn how to cope. But, on the positive side... my gramps is the coolest. His name is Horst. He was born in Germany, came to the US when he was 5 and fought for the US in World War II. How cool is he? He's a stud, cynical and I'm pretty sure he's where Tom and I get our sarcasm. So, please, fellow blog readers, please keep him in your prayers, because at this point God's plan is way bigger than what we can do or hope for.