Fallen Leaf

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In Loving Memory View Kenneth (Ken) J. Piper’s obituary and additional information. Share your memories and condolences.

Something to ponder ….

Grief for the living, the dying and the dead. This describes it perfectly.💔 😪

Grief reshapes you in ways even the closest friends can’t always see. One day, you might show up with what looks like strength, answering calls, making jokes, doing your best impression of ‘okay.’ The next, the smallest thing, an empty chair, a song, a scent, can knock the breath from your lungs.

And it confuses people. They start to think you're unpredictable, inconsistent, maybe even unfair, offering comfort to one person but withdrawing from another, showing up for one event but skipping the next. They don’t see the quiet math behind every choice, what little energy you had, what emotional toll you could afford, what it cost just to get out of bed.

It’s not hypocrisy. It’s survival. When you’re grieving, you’re not living by double standards, you’re living without a map, trying to carry a weight that changes shape every day. And sometimes, it’s not that you don’t care. It’s that you simply can’t.

And the truth is, it doesn’t resolve quickly. Grief takes years, YEARS, and even after two, everything can still feel tangled and raw. The calendar moves on, but your heart doesn’t always follow. You find yourself still stumbling, still suddenly overwhelmed, still wondering when the world will feel solid under your feet again. And it doesn’t just change you, it ripples through the whole family, shifting dynamics in ways no one expected. Unspoken tension, distance, roles that used to make sense now fractured by loss.

Sometimes, in the fog of your own pain, you become less attuned to the feelings of others, not because you’re selfish, but because your system is overloaded. The emotional bandwidth shrinks. You miss cues, you forget to ask, you pull away when someone else needed closeness. It can look like neglect, like disinterest, even like coldness. But it’s not the same as cruelty or abuse. It’s not rooted in harm, it’s rooted in exhaustion.

But slowly, gently, the weight begins to shift. The days don’t always get easier, but you get stronger. And though healing doesn’t mean forgetting, one day you’ll find yourself breathing a little deeper, laughing without guilt, reaching out without fear. Not because the grief is gone, but because you’ve learned how to carry it with grace.

Writer: Grieving Healing

Artist: Unknown

Source: https://ie.pinterest.com/pin/20618110781565323/

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Happy Father's Day. 💙 I personally was surprised this morning with a very brief, gentle, compassionate visit from my Dad. 😇

For Those Without Their Dad This Father’s Day

Father’s Day can feel different when your dad is no longer here.
While the world talks about gifts, phone calls, and celebrations,
you’re left sitting with memories, some warm, some painful.
And that contrast can feel heavy.

You might find yourself remembering little things.
Like the way his shirt smelled.
Or how he laughed at his own jokes.
Or the advice he gave that didn’t make sense until years later.
These moments sneak up in quiet ways, when you're folding laundry,
hearing a certain song, or catching your own reflection and thinking,
“I look like him.”

There’s no timeline for missing someone.
It doesn’t matter if it’s been decades or just days.
Grief doesn’t need a special occasion to show up.
But Father’s Day brings it closer to the surface.

Still, missing him doesn’t mean you’ve stopped moving forward.
In fact, the way you keep going?
That’s one of the many ways you carry him with you.
In the way you show up for others.
In the strength you don’t always notice in yourself.
In the way you love, because he loved you first.

On this day, if your heart feels heavy, you’re not weak.
You’re human.
And you’re not alone in that feeling.

Talk about him.
Laugh at old memories.
Let the tears fall if they need to.
There’s no right way to honor someone you loved deeply.
But remembering, feeling, and continuing on with a piece of him in your heart,
that’s more than enough.

You’re not forgotten.
Neither is he.

Gigantic 'Fallen Leaf' from our maple! 🍁 There were several today. Not sure I have ever seen them this big in all the years.

It's incredible really ... 🙏 😇

Over the past couple of days, whether you chose to reach out with compassion and condolences, or to extend a birthday greeting, or for many, both ... I must tell you, the connection however small or grandiose did NOT go unnoticed!
My heart hurts 💔 ... but it's happy! 💝

Thanks Elena ... wise and caring advice passed on from your Grandmother. Many times in my life I have needed and heeded these very words. 💕

"In difficult times, you move forward in small steps.

Do what you have to do, but little by little.

Don't think about the future, or what may happen tomorrow.

Wash the dishes.
Remove the dust.
Write a letter.
Make a soup.
You see?

You are advancing step by step.

Take a step and stop.
Rest a little.
Praise yourself.
Take another step.

Then another..

You won't notice, but your steps will grow more and more...

And the time WILL come when you can think about the future without crying."

~ Elena Mikhalkova
.‿♡︵ 💮 ︵♡‿.

MAY ... a very special month in my life. 🥰