Article June 13, 2011 Issue

A shift from grief to joy

By Cathie Trogdon

When I was 19 years old, my father passed away unexpectedly. I was visiting a friend two hours from home when my mother called to tell me to come home right away because my father was not doing well. 

Driving home that afternoon was a surreal experience. I couldn’t believe what my mother had told me. I had just talked to my dad the night before. He seemed fine. My father was a rock-solid student of Christian Science. I had always depended on his wisdom and spiritual insights when I needed guidance in my life. I tried to pray as I was driving home, but I couldn’t shake myself from a feeling of doom. 

Upon my arrival home, I soon realized that my father had already passed on, because family members were beginning to arrive to show support for my mother and brothers. The next several weeks after my dad’s death were a complete blur to me. Once the relatives and friends finally left, I remember feeling very alone with a heavy and constant nagging pain in my heart. I didn’t think I could ever be happy again. My brothers and mother and I were all in our own little worlds, and I didn’t feel any kinship with anyone during this time. 