DEAD

(Note: In case you don't remember my stepdaughter's mother died when she was young.)

A few days ago we were in the car with my son and grandson. Out of the blue my 3-year-old grandson blurts out "My mom's mom is dead." Something like that might have made me freeze up with awkwardness, but I know that wasn't the right thing to do. Instead I said, "She is? That's very sad. But she's in heaven." "Yes" he told me, "My dad told me that".

My husband and son didn't say a word, and I looked over at my husband in the driver's seat and he had tears in his eyes. He has had to deliver the most devastating news to the two women in his life: First, when he had to tell his daughter that her mother was gone. Then, years later, he had to tell his wife that their daughter was gone. I can't even imagine how horrible that was for him.

Before Brenna, I didn't realize how easy it was to be thrown back to that day. Now I know there are reminders everywhere. Looking at my husband I realized that when Mason talked about his grandma he would never know, it took my husband back to when she died. I reached over and held his hand, as tears slipped down his cheek.