Bill -

The loss of a loved one leaves a vacuum in one's heart and soul. Time helps heal the feeling of loss, but it never fills the void. In that way, I think, they are never forgotten. I cannot imagine the loss of a child, but please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

Bill & Lisa Binzel

I'm in tears with all your encouragement.

Bill, thanks for sharing about Karrie with her Mary Todd Lincoln doll and the time you spent together in Springfield. Beautiful memory. I know you and Donna have a lifetime of beautiful memories with Karrie but for now the pain of her loss must be honored. My heart goes out to you.

Lincoln: "In this sad world of ours sorrow comes to all and it often comes with bitter agony. Perfect relief is not possible except with time. You cannot now believe that you will ever feel better. But this is not true. You are sure to be happy again. Knowing this, truly believing it will make you less miserable now. I have had enough experience to make this statement."

These words have given me much comfort now because of my pain and loss. I shared it with my family. I told them Lincoln was a man of sorrow: he lost his brother, a sister, his mother, and two sons. Powerful.

Bill, you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. The loss of a daughter is among the very most heart breaking of circumstances that we are asked to endure. I have unfortunately walked in your shoes to some degree twenty eight years ago with the loss of my own daughter. While the pain will always be there when you think of your daughter, it will become manageable, and over time, you will cherish more the good times you and your family had with her.

My most very deep felt condolences.

Jim

(06-06-2016 09:42 PM)LincolnMan Wrote:  Lincoln: "In this sad world of ours sorrow comes to all and it often comes with bitter agony. Perfect relief is not possible except with time. You cannot now believe that you will ever feel better. But this is not true. You are sure to be happy again. Knowing this, truly believing it will make you less miserable now. I have had enough experience to make this statement."

These words have given me much comfort now because of my pain and loss. I shared it with my family. I told them Lincoln was a man of sorrow: he lost his brother, a sister, his mother, and two sons. Powerful.

From Ecclesiastes 3:

3 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2 A time to be born, and a time to die...

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal...

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance...

6 A time to get, and a time to lose...

11...he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end...

While we may not entrely understand God's work, please have faith in times of birth, healing, laughing, dancing and getting to come again - I pray they will for you and yours, too.

Donna and Karrie went with me to Soringfield in 2007. I was part of the Lincoln Tomb Death Day Ceremony for my Sons of Union Veterans Camp. I was to lay a wreath there with others from different organizations. It was a cold and rainy day. Donna and Karrie started out with me but without me noticing they slipped back onto the bus we came there on. After I did my part laying the wreath I noticed they were not with me. I looked towards the parked bus and there they both were viewing the ceremony from there. They waved at me. I called them "fair weather Lincoln fans." We all had a good laugh.

Bill - how long (timewise) is the trip to Springfield from where you live?

It's a good 10 hours. Karrie had difficulty with the trip but she was such a trooper. Despite her illness she did things- in her pain and with multiple physical problems. Sometimes she was in a wheelchair- sometimes not. She was glad to see the Lincoln's home, the town, and the tomb. We are overjoyed that she went there- as it makes the area even more special to us.

Bill,

I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I am including a link to a poem that brought me comfort and some perspective when my father passed away much to young.

http://www.appleseeds.org/she-gone-funeral.htm

The gender spoken of in the poem is related to a female but the sentiment is certainly gender neutral. The first two lines especially meant a lot to me - and still do. They and the rest of the poem reminded me that though I could not control the circumstances around my father's passing, I could control how I remembered him and how I chose to deal with his loss.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family in what I know is a challenging time.

(06-07-2016 08:16 AM)LincolnMan Wrote:  It's a good 10 hours. Karrie had difficulty with the trip but she was such a trooper. Despite her illness she did things- in her pain and with multiple physical problems. Sometimes she was in a wheelchair- sometimes not. She was glad to see the Lincoln's home, the town, and the tomb. We are overjoyed that she went there- as it makes the area even more special to us.

Quite a long trip even for a healthy person! And what a double treasured place and memory!!!

(06-07-2016 12:08 PM)STS Lincolnite Wrote:  Bill,

I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I am including a link to a poem that brought me comfort and some perspective when my father passed away much to young.

http://www.appleseeds.org/she-gone-funeral.htm

The gender spoken of in the poem is related to a female but the sentiment is certainly gender neutral. The first two lines especially meant a lot to me - and still do. They and the rest of the poem reminded me that though I could not control the circumstances around my father's passing, I could control how I remembered him and how I chose to deal with his loss.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family in what I know is a challenging time.

It is wonderful! I've already shared it with my immediate family. Thank you.

I'm so sorry to learn of your loss, Bill. The memories of the good times and your Christian faith will get you through this. God Bless you and your family during this extremely difficult time.

You're in my prayers.

(06-07-2016 07:25 PM)J. Beckert Wrote:  I'm so sorry to learn of your loss, Bill. The memories of the good times and your Christian faith will get you through this. God Bless you and your family during this extremely difficult time.

You're in my prayers.

Thank you for the encouragement. Today we continued in the cleaning/clearing of her room. No easy task! Not only was it physically draining but emotionally too.

Bill, I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. My thoughts are with you and your family during this difficult time.