Hey friends. We had Chad's Celebration of Life today. It was one of the most beautiful experiences of my lifetime. Love surrounded all of us. It was bursting out of the doors of the sanctuary.There are no words. Every kind word, smiling, tear-stained face wrapped my heart in love. Lines wrapped around the church as people came pouring in. Thank you to all of those who came and shared your love.
I wanted to post my tribute to Chad. Originally, I didn't think I could write anything, but I know that Chad would have liked it. He's the one who decided that we were going to write our own vows, so I saw it as only fitting.
I wanted to post my tribute to Chad. Originally, I didn't think I could write anything, but I know that Chad would have liked it. He's the one who decided that we were going to write our own vows, so I saw it as only fitting.
I am here on the other side of my worst fear. I’ve spent so much time thinking about what would happen if Chad got too sick, or his lungs declined, and what if he was no longer here? I thought it would be the worst thing to ever happen to me. And it is. While we sat with him on his last day, I watched his strained breath and wished, on his next breath, that he would inhale me into his lungs and carry me with him. But, that didn’t happen. And here we all are, without him, navigating the dark chasm of grief. Unimaginable. Our sorrow is incredibly deep. But, I would relive every moment of pain all over again for all that I gained from being his wife. He has been my greatest adventure.
When I met Chad on our first date, I felt as if I had known him for years. Many times after meeting him, I would recall a memory and think Chad was there, but he couldn’t have been. We fit into each other’s lives naturally. Many of you would agree that Chad was easy to get to know and love. Even nurses who would care for him while he was completely under sedation would take to him. It was like he was surrounded by a charismatic air. I was the lucky one because he loved me more than I could have dreamed. We would always say that we would rather have one day in our life together than many years in anyone else’s day-to-day.
We experienced a lot of life together. We traveled to local bed and breakfasts, wineries, rivers, beaches, mountains, and our favorite: St. Maarten. Sometimes he was well and sometimes he wasn’t. But, if he could go and do, he did. If we had to, we loaded the car up with the oxygenator, 02 tanks, feeding pump, wheelchair, walker, and off we went. I remember many times being at parties, weddings, picnics with him carrying a tank of oxygen on his shoulder. I remember lugging that huge oxygen machine around the deck of First Colony Inn in Nags Head, The Mark Addy Bed and Breakfast in Charlottesville, wheeling him in the sand at the Shamrock Half-Marathon celebration. Then there were the other times when he was running up three flights of stairs, hiding and waiting to scare me at the top. He was break-dancing at our wedding. He was hiking the Appalachian Trail.
Of all of the things that he did, Chad’s greatest joy was his family. Doctors knew at his diagnosis that he would never have children. First of all, he wasn’t going to live long enough, and on top of that, men with CF couldn’t father their own children. They didn’t count on God stepping in and changing our story. Chad boldly pursued starting a family and we were given more than we could have ever imagined. He has been a devoted husband and father every step of the way.
I might have taken him out of his comfort zone a time or two, but being with Chad taught me invaluable lessons about life. Early in our relationship, I realized that we could only take it one day at a time, tomorrow is not promised to any of us. This perspective has matured over time and has been a gift to me. Chad knew that every day he had was precious. We might be going along, easy peezy and next thing we knew we were in an emergency room.
If he could stand here today he would tell you not to be angry with Cystic Fibrosis. The disease and following transplants made him who he was. This perspective gave him a richness in life that he might have missed out on otherwise. Most importantly, it was the experience of his first transplant that made him start asking questions and seeking God. It was the traumatic experience of him being on a ventilator at UVA--after being diagnosed with RSV, flu, and pneumonia--that made me cry out helplessly to God and allow Him into my heart. We have seen God’s amazing healing power work in our lives. And I continue to be astounded at His endless grace and mercy even as we walk through this incredibly challenging time.Through our lives together, Chad and I learned and leaned into the fact that this world is not all there is. Thank you, God for all of the life that you gave us together and for the for the powerful tool that you’ve allowed Chad to be in the lives of so many people.
When I met Chad on our first date, I felt as if I had known him for years. Many times after meeting him, I would recall a memory and think Chad was there, but he couldn’t have been. We fit into each other’s lives naturally. Many of you would agree that Chad was easy to get to know and love. Even nurses who would care for him while he was completely under sedation would take to him. It was like he was surrounded by a charismatic air. I was the lucky one because he loved me more than I could have dreamed. We would always say that we would rather have one day in our life together than many years in anyone else’s day-to-day.
We experienced a lot of life together. We traveled to local bed and breakfasts, wineries, rivers, beaches, mountains, and our favorite: St. Maarten. Sometimes he was well and sometimes he wasn’t. But, if he could go and do, he did. If we had to, we loaded the car up with the oxygenator, 02 tanks, feeding pump, wheelchair, walker, and off we went. I remember many times being at parties, weddings, picnics with him carrying a tank of oxygen on his shoulder. I remember lugging that huge oxygen machine around the deck of First Colony Inn in Nags Head, The Mark Addy Bed and Breakfast in Charlottesville, wheeling him in the sand at the Shamrock Half-Marathon celebration. Then there were the other times when he was running up three flights of stairs, hiding and waiting to scare me at the top. He was break-dancing at our wedding. He was hiking the Appalachian Trail.
Of all of the things that he did, Chad’s greatest joy was his family. Doctors knew at his diagnosis that he would never have children. First of all, he wasn’t going to live long enough, and on top of that, men with CF couldn’t father their own children. They didn’t count on God stepping in and changing our story. Chad boldly pursued starting a family and we were given more than we could have ever imagined. He has been a devoted husband and father every step of the way.
I might have taken him out of his comfort zone a time or two, but being with Chad taught me invaluable lessons about life. Early in our relationship, I realized that we could only take it one day at a time, tomorrow is not promised to any of us. This perspective has matured over time and has been a gift to me. Chad knew that every day he had was precious. We might be going along, easy peezy and next thing we knew we were in an emergency room.
If he could stand here today he would tell you not to be angry with Cystic Fibrosis. The disease and following transplants made him who he was. This perspective gave him a richness in life that he might have missed out on otherwise. Most importantly, it was the experience of his first transplant that made him start asking questions and seeking God. It was the traumatic experience of him being on a ventilator at UVA--after being diagnosed with RSV, flu, and pneumonia--that made me cry out helplessly to God and allow Him into my heart. We have seen God’s amazing healing power work in our lives. And I continue to be astounded at His endless grace and mercy even as we walk through this incredibly challenging time.Through our lives together, Chad and I learned and leaned into the fact that this world is not all there is. Thank you, God for all of the life that you gave us together and for the for the powerful tool that you’ve allowed Chad to be in the lives of so many people.
This is a beautiful tribute to your lives together! I'm thankful for the way it all points the reader to our God.
ReplyDeleteYou pull at my heart strings.
ReplyDelete