Wow, it's been one year since Mike left this earthly plane for his next adventure. He has been sorely missed, especially during holidays, birthdays, gatherings, and projects around the house. 

We're reminded of him often... when grabbing the tape measure while in the middle of a project and seeing his name carved in it, hearing a cardinal and remembering him always answering their call, or watching a storm roll in and hearing his voice, ask, "Are you scared yet?"

A year can also make you forget a lot, like the sound of his voice or laugh, what it felt like to be in one of his bear hugs, and all the silly lyrics he made up for certain songs. 

Grief is the strangest emotion humans have the privilege and burden of experiencing. The waves crash fast and hard initially, then spread out and sneak up randomly, usually at inconvenient times. Who knew that construction season could make you ugly cry for reasons other than being stuck in traffic? Or the smell of sawdust could send you straight down memory lane? Or grabbing your phone when you have a question, only to be reminded the person you're about to call is no longer there, and instead have to search Google through blurry, tear-filled vision for the answers?

When people say it gets easier, it doesn't. The grief is just more spread out. No words or gestures help ease the pain. The void is always there. However, over time you learn to redirect the energy from despair to reflection, remembrance, and gratitude for the special times you had with the person you lost. 

Mike was an incredibly talented and giving human who spent much of his free time helping others. As you remember Mike today and his giving spirit, consider thinking about how you can spread that same energy to the people in your life. 

Cheers to a mighty fine human being!