The Return of Self

They say that the first couple of years after a loss are the hardest. The first Christmas, Thanksgiving, the first birthdays, anniversaries, all the big mile markers. Having to negotiate them without the loved one present. My dad died in October of 2019, and to be honest, that first Thanksgiving and Christmas, or really any time at all, I’ve barely even noticed his absence. I’d already spent years missing his presence while he was still alive. He missed…