The day of visitation for Dylan has arrived. What a long process this seems to have been, from the outside looking in anyway. I’m not sure why this whole thing has me looking back to the death of my brother so much, but it certainly has.
My brother died on Memorial Day Weekend. He was the first fatality of the weekend in our state. On Friday evening my whole family gathered together to celebrate our youngest brother’s eight birthday. My older brother and his wife was there, as were my husband and I, along with my two younger brothers who were still living with my parents.
My 18 year old brother had plans with friends, so not long after dinner and birthday cake, he left the house. Shortly after midnight on May 24, 1980 the car he was driving left the road, hit a tree. He died of a head injury at the site of the accident.
I will never forget the phone call from my dad telling us the news. Even with making arrangements and out-of-town family coming in to be with us, Saturday was a very, very long day, and so very sad.
The visitation and memorial process is so very necessary for closure purposes, I think. It is like a weaning process. There was some comfort in having the his body with us for those few short days after his death although he was no longer there.
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