As Valentines Day approaches it will make 24 years since I have seen my little brothers smile and have heard his laugh. Does time heal all wounds, No.  Time helps, but the wounds still remain. The open wounds are now covered in scare tissue. The scare is still seen as bright as the sun in my uncontrollable fear.  Fear for my own children. At the age of 12 I lost my little brother, my little mister. He was 8 when he lost his life in a fatal car accident with my grandfather. My grandfather was a survivor.

I am writing this short blog to share something that has helped me see his smile and hear his laughter again. I am a floral designer and after years of buying my cemetery arrangements from a local florist I decided I would custom make my own. My thought of making his arrangement gave me so much grief that I always avoided it. My mother whom has been my counselor thought-out the years told me to find something that reminded me of his smile and laughter. I began to choose things to incorporate all the memories that I had of my brother that resembled laughter and smiles. My very first custom cemetery saddle came about last year. I don't think in the past 23 years I ever visited my brothers grave without tears of sadness. This past year every visit was tears of great memories. Why I think? Now when visiting I see fishing poles and small trucks. Everything that envisions a smile and laughter. I cry now because I don't think of that horrid day, but I think of all the wonderful memories I had made with him.

I have also shared some great memories with others in my community by doing the same thing. This small mind change may not help you, but it has helped me.