I was standing in an aisle at Wal-Mart, scouring the shelves for an elusive bottle of something I was on the verge of being without at home. As I stood contemplating the empty space where said elusive bottle should have been, I became aware of someone else in the aisle. Someone picking up bottle after bottle, reading the labels then putting them back in their appointed spots. It was someone I had known for years and, despite my tendency toward hermithood, was someone with whom I enjoyed visiting. His wife had been a good friend of my mother’s—and mine. She had died over a decade before and since that time, with the help of family and friends, he had managed to adjust to her absence and build a life without her.
I slipped up beside him and spoke, startling him a bit since he was still reading. We shared a hug and talked about what we were doing in that particular aisle on that particular night, and as we visited, he looked beyond me and said, “There’s my ride.” I turned to find another gentleman I’d also known for years. His wife had died just a few months before. And now here they were, out together, shopping at Wal-Mart after sharing a meal.
We said our good-byes and I watched as they headed toward the cash registers. And my heart smiled. Here was a gentleman who had suffered a devastating loss, had navigated that loss and the life that lay beyond, and was now supporting someone who was just beginning the journey . . . helping him climb the mountain that is grief . . . guiding him to the peak so he can someday see the life that lies beyond his loss.
Death and its aftermath affects everyone differently, and no two people will ever grieve the same way. But two people can always support one another, especially when they are climbing the same mountain.
About the author: Lisa Shackelford Thomas is a fourth-generation member of a family that’s been in funeral service since 1926 and has worked with Shackelford Funeral Directors in Savannah, Tennessee for over 45 years. Any opinions expressed here are hers and hers alone and may or may not reflect the opinions of other Shackelford family members or staff.
