Today is my birthday, and I had a lovely day spending it with my mother, daughter and grandson – socially distanced and wearing masks. My mom gets her first vaccination tomorrow, so we were being very safe today around her. No hugs, even though I wanted to give her a hug.

We talked at length about my dad, and the service on Friday, and just other things that we needed to talk about. I could tell that obviously my mom was sad but she held it together and enjoyed the day with her great-grandson.

My daughter commented to me that there was something wrong with me. I have had one little cry for my dad, but nothing like both my kids have had. I’m sad that my dad is gone, but people can grieve and not cry. I may be different from most other people, but it doesn’t mean I don’t care or that I’m not sad. I simply express my grief in a different way from everyone else.

Tonight, after my dinner with my daughter at her place, I decided to take a drive to a local beach, that has a boardwalk to walk on. I took my time walking a short distance, and had a little talk with my dad. I thanked him for all that he did for us, and I said good bye. That’s my way of grieving and saying good bye to a loved one.

So my thought today is – it’s okay to be different. It doesn’t mean you don’t have feelings – it just means that you express them differently from everyone else. Be different. It’s okay!!