“When someone you love dies, and you’re not expecting it, you don’t lose her all at once; you lose her in pieces over a long time-the way the mail stops coming, and her scent fades from the pillows and even the clothes in her closet and drawers. Gradually, you accumulate the parts of her that are gone. Just when the day comes-when there’s a particular missing part that overwhelms you with the feeling she’s gone, forever-there comes another day, and another specifically missing part”
-John Irving, A Prayer for Owen Meany
This, from a very favourite book of mine, is one of the best descriptions, in my opinion, of how profound loss creeps and seeps into our daily lives.
beautiful, and true, not only of death, but of loss of someone special.
Lovely.
This happens even when you are expecting the person to die. Sometimes I panic as I continue to lose the pieces of my mom.
A favourite of mine as well – and such a great quote… thanks for sharing Nanc!
This is where we are these days… feeling the final-ness of it all. Le sigh. Le sads.
Nance, this is a beautiful quote and it is so true. This is how it is with my mom. I miss her so and wonder how she would be so proud of her grandchildren. Thanks for sharing. BTW – my favourite book!