A couple questions each day

We went to visit Boppa last weekend. He finally sold the Drug Store so he's been in the process of cleaning it out. Hard to believe 12 years have passed since he retired and locked the store up for the last time. It's been really good for him to have this project to focus on and he says he's doing better. What do you do when you're in your 80's and your spouse -love of your live- is gone?


For those who don't know their story, it’s kind of a saga. However, the book jacket would include details like this: first love at 15, followed by college, marriage, three girls, three boys who didn't survive, returning their small hometown, pharmacy, divorce, emphasema, reuniting, remarriage and one week later, loss.


She has been gone now for 16 months and it has been as painful as you might expect. However, at one point he looked up and said "the joy is returning." We still cried a few times recalling her.

Of all our conversations, what I keep repeating in my mind and what has really stuck with me:

He said that when asked if he had one more day with her, what would he say?

he said he would tell her "I love you"

and "ask her for forgiveness"

but that he “mainly want to ask her ‘what is it all about? Why are we here?’"

He thinks she had a better idea of this and he's still trying to figure it out.

Later in the day Joe asked a question about weather patterns, and Boppa responded with: "One of the things I miss most about her, besides of course her constant company" (they literally didn't leave each other's side for the last 5+ years), he continued "is I miss her knowledge. I could have asked her that question and she would have known the answer. [he paused] ...I think of a couple questions each day that I want to ask her."

We sat in silence and a few tears fell and I didn’t tell him, but I have a few questions a day for her, too.