Kevin Healey

Now that two months have passed since Kevin died we can honestly say that dealing with Kevin's death only gets more difficult. At least for now, time isn't healing, but we are still so new to this grieving process and so raw emotionally. I would imagine any parent/sibling would feel the same way so this must be within the normal boundaries of the grieving process. We miss Kevin and the reality that we will never see him again has begun to hit us. What I wouldn't give to share an inside joke with him...just one more time...

Thankfully our next-door-neighbors generously offered their vacation home on the Outer Banks, and we took Mary Kate on a week-long get-away. The weather, the beach, the home, the seafood -- everything was great and we needed the break. Because Mary Kate will soon be flying to Seattle with my sister (who has a conference there), she will see the Pacific as well, and I can't remember a time when she saw both oceans in one summer. Tom and I are going to re-paint and re-decorate her bedroom while she travels in July,

In a few days we plan to meet with Jon Jarc to discuss his new website concept. I also have a few photos I want to post -- the last photo of Kevin (on his birthday just before he died - he has a "decent" 45 minutes that day and we snapped a beautiful shot of him holding his birthday cake), as well as a photo from Mary Kate's 8th grade graduation. This website will close soon, when Kevin's headstone is in place and we are able to post a photo of it for all to see. That seems to be the appropriate time to close the website.

This weekend my school is having its annual carnival, and I hope to see some of you there (shameless plug - and they don't even pay me for that!). I know that St. Bernadette School is already cooking up some service projects for the "Kevin's Krew" team and we hope to raise funds and awareness for a variety of worthwhile causes. (See the link to the newspaper article in the previous post).

The care and concern all of you showed during the years of Kevin's illness and the time of Kevin's death are sinking in and our love and gratitude grows. Acts of kindness that didn't sink in at the time because of the hectic nature of taking care of Kevin are now becoming more clear -- you have brought us closer to God because of your love and generosity.

More to follow soon - we hope that everyone who travels this summer is safe and that all who read this post know that they are loved and appreciated by this family of three. All of you continue to stun us with your beauty. Thank you for sharing a taste of heaven with us. You have no idea how much we needed you then and continue to need you now. God bless.

Ann, Tom and Mary Kate