Tag: Don’t stop believing

The Twilight Zone

Ronan. Can you give me a reason to get out of bed today? Because I cannot find one. I’m still waiting for you to come and wake me up and tell me to make your extra cheesy eggies. I’m still waiting for you to ask me to put on “Mickey Mouse,” for you and sit on the couch and watch it with you. I’m still waiting and until you come back, I don’t know how I am going to function. The truth is, I don’t want to function and I don’t want life to go on. Life for me has completely stopped and that is apparent in the way that each day and night without you drags on and on and on. I’m trying to be productive. I really am, but it’s torture. Last night, I tried my best to be a really good mom to your brothers. They are so sad that the amount of energy I have to pour into being around them and making them happy is exhausting. I will forever be working extra hard to fill your void. That is a lot of work for a mommy. I never realized how much of a helper you were to me with your brothers. You filled them with all the happiness in the world and now that you are gone, I have to try to fill your shoes. It is not an easy job. They had Luca stay the night and Tricia and Macy came over. We piled in the car and took the 3 boys for Fo Yo. The boys giggled the entire way there. You would have loved it. All 3 of them sat in the very back, Macy sat in the seat in front of them and Tricia sat by me in the passenger side of the car. Your seat was empty. I saved it for you. Macy, Tricia and I wore our Spirit Hoods out last night just for you. It was silly fun and I needed the laughs. I can always count on those when your Auntie Macy is around.

I sat outside with those two girls and we cuddled on the couch and talked about you. I showed them the video of you on my phone from San Francisco when you were at the airport and you were yelling “Bye Macy!” to her. She hadn’t seen it yet. We cried. I showed them the last picture I took of us on Mother’s Day. You didn’t even look like yourself baby. Your daddy asked me to delete it but I’m not going to. I’ll keep it forever even though that s not the way I want to remember you. I know it won’t be, but I still need to keep that picture.

Ro~ I have no idea when I started that post above. All I know is it’s now a Saturday night. And the only way I know that is because tomorrow is the day that I am hoping really will not come. Tomorrow, is the day that I think your obituary comes out in the paper and I think it’s the day we have your services. I don’t know how I am going to survive tomorrow. I’ve already asked Fernanda to find my twin in life, so I don’t have to go. She told me that you would not like that; that you would know it wasn’t me there. I disagree. I think you would like it because you always liked how we used to break the rules together. It was one of our favorite things in the world.

I still cannot believe you are gone. I wonder if I will ever believe it.  This has got to be an episode of “The Twilight Zone.” Everything that goes on in our new world without you doesn’t make any sense at all. I’ am so mad. The one thing about all of this that nobody tells you about losing a child is how slowly time passes afterwords. I swear I don’t know how I’m going to get through life if it continues to be this way. It is so slow that it is painful. I hid in my bed almost the entire day today. I know it’s not how you would want me to be, but I cannot help it. I care about nothing. This is such an awful thing to say, but I don’t even want to be a mom anymore.  And that is my most favorite thing in the world. Everything takes so much energy now. Trying to fill the void that you have left behind is impossible but I have to continue to try to fill it for your brothers sake. Especially Quinn’s. He is wandering around like a lost little puppy. It makes me so sad, and I am trying my hardest to shower him with anything I have left; but it is not much and I know he feels it. He is stuck to me like glue. You would think this would satisfy me and fill me up, to feel all of the love he has for me. It doesn’t. I feel like I am in the bottom of a hole in the ground, looking up at the bright sky and trying to climb my way up and out of the hole. I feel like I’m going to suffocate 24 hours a day. I feel like this is never going to get any better.

All I want to do is sleep because at least in my sleep I get to see you. Even though the dreams I have of you are not happy dreams yet. I mostly dream about you dying. I wonder if this is part of the process. There has to be some psychology behind this. I hope to someday have sweet dreams about you. I miss you, Ro. I miss you every second of everyday. I would give anything to kiss your little lips again. To hold your little hand and look into your big blue eyes.

Your daddy asks me all the time if I need anything. You know what my response is? “Ronan.” I can’t help it. Your name just slips out of my mouth without me even thinking about it. I know he wants you just as badly. He hurts too. But even he admitted to me today that he knows that he doesn’t hurt as much as I do. He gets the whole mother and son thing. He is such an amazing man, that daddy of yours. I am trying to be strong for him and he keeps telling me what a great job I am doing, but I know I am not. But he tells me this anyway. He tells me this as he lets me sleep the day away and takes care of the house, the errands, the chores, your brothers, and his work. I am pretty much useless right now. I hope someday I can make this up to him. I hope someday I can go back to being a productive person of society. I’m not even existing. I’m barley breathing.

I don’t want tomorrow to come. I’m expecting it to be like an out-of-body experience. I told Tricia tonight just to physically get me to your service tomorrow is going to be an ordeal. I have a vision of running away and never coming back. I couldn’t do that to you though. I have to keep my head on somewhat straight for your brothers too. I refuse to fuck up their lives. I have to keep reminding myself that there are other people involved in all of this. I have to keep reminding myself not to be selfish but that is all I really want. Is to be selfish about losing you and to pretend like I am the only one hurting. I know that’s not the case. The sadness that exudes from the others around me is very apparent. It is so very hard for me to see as I only want to make everyone feel better and comfort those around me.

Tonight, my besties from high school all came in. I had them over to our house. Everyone was so sad and I was having such a hard time as I don’t know what else to do with everyone else’s sadness. So what did I do, you may ask? I know you saw me and watched us. I insisted that your daddy hook up Rock Band so we could play it. Otherwise, I’m sure we all would have wound up in my bed crying like babies and that was something I could not handle. Rock Band was a great distraction and I even broke out all of our wigs that we used to wear for it. There were some laughs and your crazy Aunt Macy is an amazing singer! She stole the show. Quinn played the guitar and kept getting amazing scores of 97%. He was so cute. Liam attempted the drums, but was soon not so into it so he ran off to play something else. All of the girls left to go back to their hotel and I will see them tomorrow. I’m so happy they are here, but so sad it is for this reason.

As we speak, Macy, Tricia, your Daddy, Uncle Jay, and Kenny are out in the livingroom playing Rock Band, again. I am snuggled in bed with Quinn and Liam is sleeping with Papa Jim. Nana is in your room, (a.k.a. the hot lava room). I’m tired tonight but restless as well. I wonder what you are doing wherever you are. I sit and think crazy things about how you watch me and are just trying to get back to me. Is it torture up there for you too because all you want is to be back with me?? This all seems like a fucking lose lose situation to me. How could you be happy like I want you to be when we are apart?? Nobody knows the answers so I have no choice but to try to figure them out myself. I’m just going to let you be my little guide. I promised you I’d never let go of your hand and you know I don’t break my promises.

I’m getting sleepy now. If you visit me tonight, in my dreams….. please no more scary ones like I’ve been having. Let’s take a trip to the beach together or something else. I don’t want to see you dead in a stroller in my bathroom. But you know what, if that’s the only way I get to see you, I’ll take it. It’s better than not seeing you at all. I love you, Ronan. To the moon and back forever and ever. Sweet dreams, baby boy.

xoxo

Don’t stop believing

Ro baby. I looked for you all day. I was so sure you were going to wake me up this morning, as you have done every morning for the past almost 4 years. I woke up with a big, strange person in our bed. It was your daddy. I kept waiting for you to pop out in between us, but you never came. I got up, showered, and got dressed. I waited for you to come in and ask for me to put on some of my sparkly lip gloss that you liked to cover your face in. I waited for you to ask what it was that I was putting on my eyes as I applied my mascara. I waited for you to ask me to give your star wars guys a bath and for me to give you my hairdryer so you could blow dry them. You never came.

Quinn needed a haircut today. I got in the car and drove him to the barber. I looked for you in my rear view mirror, sitting back in your carseat. You weren’t there. Somehow, I got Quinny safely to get his haircut. I’m not sure I should have been driving today as everything is really foggy. My friend, Melissa came and sat with me. I told her how I needed to go to Nordstrom to return some of your Paul Frank underwear that came in the mail and to get Quinn and Liam some shoes for your service on Sunday. She came with me. She helped me get the sizes for your brothers shoes as my mind would not focus today. Everything is a mess. Everything except me. I’m o.k. Remember how a couple of days ago, I was hovering over you and I was crying?? You looked at me and said, “Mom, stop being sad.” You would be proud of me. I’m not sad yet. I’m trying so hard to make you proud. I am scared for the day when all of this hits me and I realize you are really gone. As of now, this all just feels like make believe. I still feel like this is just a trick or a nightmare that I cannot wake up from. Your daddy has been crying a lot. I wonder if something is wrong with me as I am not grieving yet. I’m numb to everything around me.

After I dropped Quinn off at home, I went to my hair appointment. I sat in the chair and was quiet for the most part. Katrina, who shaved your little head, gave me a big hug. She let me sit and just be with my own thoughts but we talked about you for a little bit. I got teary eyed, but did not cry. After my hair appointment, I went to see Dr. Maze. I brought him a coffee in your honor; but it was from A.J.’s and not Starbucks like we usually used to bring to him. We sat in his office for a long time. He has a picture of you up in the middle of his bulletin board. He misses you. I didn’t cry when I sat with him either. I never seem to, as you know he always has given me strength. He has become one of my best friends. Even though he is just a really old man 😉 We laugh about the day that I will push him around in his wheelchair. He told me his mum will look after you now. I had a dream about him saying this to me. That his mom would look after you now. I had asked him this in real life in a text message and he didn’t answer me back. But I dreamt he did and that is what he told me. I asked him today if I dreamed that or if he really had said it. He said that I had dreamed it, but that he knew she would be looking after you. That gave me peace because he loves her so much. I know she will take good care of you until I see you again.

After I left Dr. Maze’s office, I came home and helped your brothers get ready for their baseball game. They played so well and it was such a beautiful night. I kept looking for you on the playground, but I couldn’t find you. Then I remembered, you are gone. Since you’ve been gone something funny has happened everyday. That song by Journey, “Don’t stop believing,” has been playing in the background each day. Tonight, I heard it at the ballpark and it stopped me dead in my tracks. 3 days in a row I’ve heard that song. So weird. I know it’s you. It’s one of your little signs. I will never stop believing in you. At the ballpark, your brothers played an amazing game. They are happy, but they miss you a lot. Quinn was having trouble hitting the ball at one point and I asked for you to help him. I said, “Come on, Ro. Help your brother out.” You did. He hit it out of the park. Your dad and I stood together and talked about you and how you were always so proud and always held your chin up high. You achieved a lifetime of dignity in your 4 years of life that most people never achieve. Even when you died, your chin was held high. You are such an amazing little boy, Ronan. I am so honored I am your mama. I’ll never forget some of your last words to me. “Mama.” Me: “Yes, baby.” You: “I love you.” Me: ” I love you more, Ro.”

Tonight, we rode our bikes over to Uncle Jay’s house so Liam and Quinn could go swimming. I looked for you on your little bike next to me, but you weren’t there. Liam and Quinn swam in the pool and played basketball. I heard them laugh and looked up at the moon to tell you that I love you to the moon and back. I wish you could have been with us. Quinn took big fall on his bike on our way home. His little foot was so bloody and scraped up. We got him home and I thought of you and how brave you have always been. I tried to channel some of your braveness into Quinn. We got home and I did my first load of laundry since you’ve been gone. It was so weird. I still cannot go into your bedroom. I’m saving it for that special time when I know I am ready to fully succumb to this nightmare. I will use your room as the place where I can fully breakdown; when it is my time.

I’ll never forget how you looked hours before you passed. I could have sworn I saw your little eyes trying to form tears. I know it was because you were so sad to leave us. I hate thinking of you sad. I’m trying my hardest to block this memory out and think of you at your happiest times. The times that you were with us and such a carefree, healthy little boy. These memories will keep my heart warm for the rest of my life, baby.

I have to go now. Fernanda and Stacy are here and we are going to go over the way we are honoring you on Sunday. Even though we will honor you for the rest of our lives, baby. I love you, Ro. See you in my dreams.

xoxo