We sleep on the floor in the living room with you

When you can no longer use

The stairs up to bed

 

We hold your head and feed you

When the disease spins lies to your brain

Saying that eating is a bad idea

 

We stop time together

Putting the world on hold

To make our brief hours here full, warm, and happy

 

We invite best friends over to play

Right on through our shared pain

Until there is only laughter

 

And we reminisce

Like that time you just knew

How an almost perfect moment could be improved upon by one stolen sock

 

We listen closely

Past the jagged nagging of our breaking hearts

So that we can hear and know when you’re ready to go

 

Then we sit beside you, telling you how much we love you

Through tears, without shame

Dragging our sorry selves to a state of rest, peace

So that uber-empathetic you can feel more peace than sadness as you leave us

 

We go home without you

Through a bright cold world that feels hollow

Down abandoned streets

To a house that echoes empty

 

And we begin without you to warm ourselves

By honoring you

And through you

Honoring ourselves.

 

You didn’t only teach us

Like we thought you did

The amazing way that you loved your whole life

 

Nope

You taught us

How we love

 

This is how we love

Huh. Wow.

This is how we love.

Thank you, Grady.

Goodbye Grady