A very popular song from our generation performed by Simon and Garfunkel in 1964, was the “The Sound of Silence”. I loved that song from the time it debuted, but now, not so much. It’s a constant reminder that the home my wife created and we love, was always filled with the sounds of holidays, dinners, parties, laughter until it hurt my side, voices of our friends and family enjoying themselves, sounds of our daughter playing, laughing, saying “I love you” amidst the barking and endless begging from our beloved dog babies, all wonderful sounds. Now all I hear are the fan from the furnace, TV or radio on constantly just to hear voices, the ticking of clocks and my voice calling out, I’m home, but with nobody answering. The reality of it now sneaks into my life everyday. At one time I felt I could be strong enough to endure it, now discovering that I, along with a lot of people, can’t. I certainly appreciate kind words of encouragement and subtle signs of understanding, but I know that unless you’ve lost someone you loved more than life itself, you will never fully understand. And that’s okay really, I don’t wish this kind of pain on anyone. I long for those days, they’re locked in my memories and my heart, ready to play, even if only in my head, whenever I need them. The Sound of Silence truly is real, it’s deafening and it hurts.

Written By: Robert M. Meister

Robert is a participant from Saint Christopher Parish’s Grief Support Group and allowed us to share one of his personal writings. Their Grief Support Group runs 7-week closed session groups starting in January, April, and October. The next grief support group will begin on April 3 at St. Christopher Church, 20141 Detroit Road, Rocky River OH 44116. The group will meet every Thursday for 7 weeks, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM. The registration fee is $15.00. Contact Melissa DiFini 440-331-4255 ext. 105 or mdifini@stchrisparish.com