I don't envision there being the need for me to continue posting on CaringBridge beyond today's entry, so I sort of wanted this message to convey some final thoughts.

I recently learned of the passing of Helen Muntean, who was a close and longtime friend of my family's. Helen, though probably not known by many of you, dated one of my great uncles "for about five minutes," as our family jokes. She had not been well for quite a while and apparently in early September passed away.

Her family decided not to hold either a funeral or memorial service or calling hours or visiting. This of course is their decision, and only their decision, to make, but it also illuminates for me how very much I have to be thankful for in the wonderful calling hours and memorial service that were held for my mother--already more than a week ago.

I don't know where or how to begin thanking everyone who kindly and generously gave of themselves in order that proper respect and tribute be paid to Melanie ~ in the form of donations to the organizations we listed, flowers, cards, food, and of course simply being present.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Driving around Akron of late, in the heart of what was Mom's favorite season, it doesn't strike me as at all fair for her to be missing another beautiful autumn. But, as the saying goes, which, accompanied by a photograph of a beach scene, is the desktop background on my computer, "Life isn't fair, but it's still good."

Thoughts of my mother--sad thoughts of her being taken from us far too soon and at far too young of an age, as well as happy thoughts of a heart that was big enough to make another human life both possible and incomprehensibly full of possibility--fill my mind. I miss her so much.

So I will close this afternoon with, yes, the lyrics to a song I heard while I was out this morning.

"A thousand times I've seen you standing
Gravity like a lunar landing
You make me want to run till I find you
I shut the world away from here
I drift to you, you're all I hear
As everything we know fades to black

Half the time the world is ending
Truth is I am done pretending

I never thought that I
Had anymore to give
You're pushing me so far
Here I am without you
Drink to all that we have lost
Mistakes we have made
Everything will change
But love remains the same

I find a place where we escape
Take you with me for the space
The city buzz sounds just like a fridge
I walk the streets through seven bars
I have to find just where you are
The faces seem to blur
They're all the same

Half the time the world is ending
Truth is I am done pretending

I never thought that I
Had anymore to give
You're pushing me so far
Here I am without you
Drink to all that we have lost
Mistakes we have made
Everything will change
But love remains the same

So much more to say
So much to be done
Don't you trick me out
We shall overcome
It's all left still to play

We - should have the sun
Could have been inside
Instead we're over here

Half the time the world is ending
Truth is I am done pretending
Too much time too long defending
You and I are done pretending

I never thought that I
Had anymore to give
You're pushing me so far
Here I am without you
Drink to all that we have lost
Mistakes we have made
Everything will change
Everything will change

I, oh I,
I wish this could last forever
I, oh I,
As if we could last forever

Love remains the same
Love remains the same"

-Gavin Rossdale, "Love Remains the Same"