Day two (but really feels like day 22)

I got a peaceful albeit short sleep last night (probably 4 hours total). I spent some time talking on the phone with one of my nieces in Edmonton and didn't get to sleep until almost 2:30am.
I woke up around 6:20am and laid in bed reflecting on how much things have changed in such a short while.
I finally got out of bed around 7:30am, made some tea and toast for breakfast, got ready for work then went to the Kia dealership to pick up Kevin and take him to work (he had to go in and get his summer/winter tires swapped). We headed to McDonald's for a coffee run for Dena and I then headed in to work.
I felt like I had a somewhat productive day even though I'm still very much trying to get caught up with emails and deadlines past and future.
I got a few more condolences throughout the day from people that I didn't even think would know about my Dad's passing, and it was nice to know that they would take time out of their day to acknowledge our loss.
One colleague of mine came over and offered her condolences and we had a brief (somewhat misty-eyed) chat about the loss of a loved one - the feeling of being overwhelmed at times, feeling good at others then being suddenly reduced to tears, and all too often being overcome by the surreal-ness of it all. Our conversation at least served the purpose to confirm that I'm not alone, and the more I talk/write about it, the better for me.
I also found out, quite by accident today, that my "sister" (non-blood related) also started a blog, at least in part because of our conversation about the healing power of writing. I encourage anyone who is reading this to do the same - even if you never share it, even if you think you're not a good writer, even if you think you have nothing "good" to write about.
My "sister" and I chatted this morning around 8am - she sent me an email late yesterday, an excerpt of which I will publish:
I don't know very much at all about hinduism. I was looking in the macy's brochure today. They had pendant necklaces and the first one I saw was the Eiffel tower. I thought of you and said to Tim, "Sophie has been there!". The next pendant that I noticed had a very interesting configuration. It looked like a "3" with some other things around it. I remember noticing on the wall at the temple a similar symbol. I said to Tim, I think that's a Hindu symbol. What is this doing in the Macy's flyer. I almost took a picture of it to ask you. Instead I googled! Sure enough its the same symbol. I don't know what it means. More odd is I don't know how or why its in the Macy's catalogue.
So what's strange is that Kevin and I were chatting yesterday about my new necklace, a gift from my "sister". It looked somewhat familiar because it's on a pretty popular commercial. It's the Jane Seymour "open heart" necklace which kind of looks like two hearts joined at the points, but open at the opposite ends. It resembles a swan, which, (not many people know) is the translation of part of my first, legal, Indian name. I've always loved swans, and this particular necklace is a new release because it also coincidentally has my birthstone in it! It is so beyond perfect on its own, but the reason she gave it to me is because she too lost her Dad (15 years ago! Where has the time gone?!) She attached a note, part of which I'll include in my blog:
"After my Dad passed, I bought myself a necklace. On one side it says "ONE DAY AT A TIME". On the other side it says, "Dad, October 26th, 1996" ... I also count days and things are relative to that day ... I think it's the bond between a father and a daughter and the extreme life shift that occurs after they are gone. No one compares to your Dad ... I hope you find strength in my small gift ... Two hearts connected in a special bond that happens between a daughter and her Dad".
I was starting to tell Kevin about my special gift but got choked up and couldn't finish it (hopefully you're reading it now, Kev!), but I don't think it's coincidental that I was talking about her yesterday morning, and that evening she sees two "signs" that remind her of me!
What she didn't know was that the "3" that she saw at the temple, and now in the Macy's catalogue, is the same symbol that I had tattooed on my back years ago as a visual reminder of my Dad (I have a second tattoo of a crescent moon and star (the symbol for Islam as my mother was born and raised as a Muslim (but is now a Christian, but that's a story for another day))).
The "3" or Aum (pronounced Om) is hard to explain, but it is considered by Hindus to be the eternal sound of the universe. It encompasses in its three letters the creation of the universe, the life of the universe, and the destruction of the universe (deep stuff, I know!) :)
They say that somewhere in the world, at any given time, someone is thinking about you. An old friend, a current one, a parent, a spouse, maybe even someone who suffers from unrequited love.
To my "sister" - I thought about you today, and I know you're thinking about me. Today's blog is dedicated to you, and to echo your sentiment:

Who we become in life begins with family. Thank YOU for including me in yours.

Goodnight, all!