Our day was filled with people.  Food and people passing in and out of my house. Phone calls bringing us more details, and changing some of the details. So many people who cared so very much.  None could believe all that transpired.  We spent the day waiting for my sisters to get in from Atlanta.  We were finally all together at last, save one.  The one we were gathering to mourn.  Daddy was always such a presence in my family. When you remove a support beam, how weak a house does feel.  It may not fall down but it feels unsafe, rocky, wavering. Navigation becomes difficult.  This was us without him.  We all went to bed that night.  My sisters slept over at my house.  I lay awake crying.  I could hear the sporadic whimpers and crying from the room above.  Sisters sharing in the pain of enormous loss. The day had been full.  Full of people and talking, things to be done.  The night brought nothing at first, a deep breath, to lay down and rest. Oh, but then it came.  The memories flooded in.  I had 36 years worth of precious memories.  In the dark, I replayed the videeo in my mind.  Sweet things Daddy would  do or say.  Funny things, when we laughed with him and sometimes at him.  We would not do these things again. I had experienced theft before.  Theft of money, or jewelry.  You feel so invaded, violated.   We had truly been robbed this time.  It wasn't a thing, in this instance, that had been taken.  Not a replaceable item but a life.  How much more losing a loved one hurts.  You feel so utterly helpless.    I finally passed out  from sheer exhaustion.  I woke up several times that night.  Each time, remembering was like losing him all over again.  My husband had been so sweet to try and console me, cry with me at times.  He too had lost a beloved friend.  My dad was his pal, his hunting and fishing buddy.  Just days before Daddy spent most of the weekend at our house watching football with Chance while I was away working at the jewelry store.  So difficult to lose both family and friend.   My little boy, Luke, came in our room early that morning.  He too was crying.  He climbed into our bed and fell back to sleep.  Libby would eventually find her way here too. I really didn't want to get up and face the day.  Let me just lie here and keep my loved ones around me and safe.   There was so much left to go through.  Finally my mom came in.   We all needed to get up, people would be coming soon...we had an appointment with the funeral home to keep. She was right...