Friends and Family

In the books 

by Katie Welker

It’s almost 11am and I’m still lying in bed, which is a sure sign that yesterday was Thanksgiving. 

As many of us stop to reflect during the holidays, it’s no secret when I say that this is a time for gratitude, joy and happiness. But if you’re like me and millions of others, they can also bring a daunting reminder of the loved ones we’ve lost who aren’t here with us. 

You think of the empty chair they should be sitting in. You think of the leftovers they should be eating for you and taking home. You think of the extra laugh in the room that’s missing. You think of the absence. 

Maybe feeling that absence so strongly and vividly is a part of growing up – where you become acutely aware of how things change with the passing of time. It seems to be an inevitable growing pain that hits hardest on the holidays. 

But that growth also gives us the wisdom to take each moment for granted just like we should. To take those valuable old memories and weave them into something new. To intertwine the past with the present so that the two halves make a new whole, no matter how bittersweet it can be. 

And once you embrace the change, all of the sudden you realize you got through another important day without the ones you miss most. More so, you actually enjoyed yourself and did make new memories. 

And just like that, you’ve put another holiday in the books.

Just like that, you’re still breathing in and out. 

Just like that, you’re okay. 


Of the essence

by Katie Welker

Two years have gone by since my brother passed away.

Two years since I got that phone call.

Two years since I wrote his obituary.

Two years since I read his eulogy.

Two years.

I know as the years continue to pass i’ll say, “wow – I can’t believe it’s been 5 years!” and, “wow – I can’t believe it’s been 10 years!” I’ll always be in a state of disbelief.

I can say with a fair amount of certainty that we have all lost someone dear to us. And it’s tough to tell how you’ll feel when a day like this sneaks up on you. Because there was such a strong unpredictability about how today would feel for me, I decided to plan ahead and give myself one simple thing: time.

Time off of work for one day. Time to perhaps organize my apartment, go to a yoga class, spend time with one of my most uplifting girlfriends, call my twin sister, check in on my family… just a little extra time.

Because one thing I realized is that time is a luxury we rarely ever have when we want it the most.

I don’t have the luxury of time to go back to my brother and have the million conversations that I wish I could. I don’t have time to hug him once more or tell him I love him. I don’t have time to argue with him over whether or not to keep Taylor Swift on the radio, or whose team is going to win the football game.

In the relationship between my brother and myself, I am completely and utterly out of time.

That is a heartbreaking reality that two years later i’m still learning how to both manage and adapt to.

Yet on the positive flip side – because I always fight to find one – I’m now acutely aware of this luxury of time, and day by day am trying to take advantage of the brutal lessons i’ve learned through the loss of my brother.

I’m trying to make the most of the time I have with those who I still have it with.

Whether that means taking extra vacation time to see my family over the holidays, or finally – after 10 years of friendship – having the courage to commit to a relationship with the man of my dreams, I’m giving life every ounce of effort I have left in this battered yet beating heart of mine.

It’s no secret that every day comes with a struggle and a challenge- for all of us. But it also comes with the opportunity to make the most of our time and the love we have for life and those we’re fortunate enough to share it with.

Life without my brother will never get easier. But the lessons i’ve learned from his loss will help me to make this life as beautiful as humanly possible.

I promise you that time is a luxury I will never, ever take for granted. And I hope you don’t either.

So now, how will you make the most of the time you have?

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