Today is my late brother's birthday. He was murdered 28 years ago, and his death still haunts our family. He passed at 16 which was so unexpected. Losing him at 14, really destroyed my life. It's like a part of me died with me. Older brothers are supposed to protect you, and I felt alone in the world.
I received a call from my estranged father's job in November. He was an addict most of my life, so he chose to stay away. No one had heard from him in a week, and apparently that was unlike him. He was found dead in his apartment on his birthday.
I found out my father completely turned his life around. He had been sober for over 15 years. I am happy that he seemed to have found peace but upset that he didn't try to bond with me. It was very painful handling the affairs of your father but knowing nothing about him. My mother had to write his obituary.
Writing this post, is the first time I allowed myself to really cry. I think I just needed to vent before I could begin to heal.