It’s Really Real

It really is real now. Her marker was placed on May 20th. June 1st was 8 months. Today is 35 weeks since I hugged her.

Maybe Panera isn’t the place to do this while waiting for my car to be serviced. Damn tears. It is the “special” place. My boys and my niece J will get that reference.

Darren and I spent a lot of time trying to figure out Sam’s forever marker. I think we captured our girl. I love this picture. She was so happy every time she saw Mickey Mouse. In the bottom right, those are her actual footprints. All of 1.75 inches tall and less than an inch across. Do you see the hidden Mickey? It’s an obvious one, but necessary. And of course, a castle.

The Sam sayings on her marker were so very her. For the top one, oh geez. She would say this to everyone! For years we tried to explain that she shouldn’t say these two sentences to complete total strangers. No such luck. The number of times we had to stop her from hugging strangers who she told she loved them is uncountable.

For the bottom saying, if you were ever around her, she would demand sneezes. Same words every time. Sneeze. You better. Then you’d get an Again from her, followed by the command of Next One (the person responsible for adding this sneeze into the ritual knows who he is). You would not be done until she would demand Last One.

It is time to finish this Panera post. My car is ready. It’s still so very strange to know wherever I go, whatever I do, when I get home Sam is not there.

It really is real. I love you people. Now you better fucking sneeze.

Cheers. Kinda.

Nancy