Forever in our hearts

I cannot believe it is the eve of Bruce's passing one year ago tomorrow :(
Con, what a wonderful posting and update for everyone to know what has been happening in the Rissi family. I'm sure Bruce is looking upon all of you with great pride & happiness in his soul.
Yes it has been a very  monumental year for the family to say the least but, I know Bruce is smiling down upon them and walking right along beside his beloved family every step of the way.

I can't begin to tell you how very much I miss his laugh, train sounds and infamous smile of his.
I believe I heard his laughter a couple of weeks ago as Val was showing us her music room and Kali & Josie picked up his drum sticks a played a tune for us on his drums. We reminisced about Uncle Bruce and all the special things he did with Kali. He always had a way with the little kids and included them in everything that was going on and always made them feel special.

Once again Bruce, We love you & miss you and will forever be in our hearts!
Love, Di

I Hope You Dance

It's hard to imagine that just a short year ago, we lost Bruce to a terrible battle with Brain Cancer. As I review the past year, the lows were more than the highs, the challenges greater than the successes. Most importantly, there were highs and successes.  It's hard to imagine a life without Bruce. His impace on myself, my brothers, my Mom, my kids, my husband, our relatives, it's overwhelming when I think about it. But when I think about it, there are smiles, rather than tears.  Something, a year ago, I never imagined possible.

So after some hard thought, I choose to embrace our memories, rather than mourn his loss. I choose to embrace the wonderful things that have happened to our family in the past year, rather than remember the harsh realities of his battle with cancer. I choose to dance! I choose to celebrate! We have a lot to be thankful for, we have a lot of things to celebrate. Here are just a few:



 

JACOB

Jacob embarked on the hardest journey he has yet to face, leaving home, attending a four year university ten hours away, and completely on his own. It was the hardest thing my Mom and I did, when we left him that August weekend to embark on such a wonderful, personal journey. I cried most of the plane ride home, after Mom cheated TSA and got on an airplane without identification! We taxied out and I thought to myself, "what are we doing!" 

Fast forward one year later.... My husband and I got to spend a fantastic weekend with Jake in the great UP experienceing God's country, chasing down waterfalls and enjoying terrible food and bad beer! I got to help Jake set up the coolest room ever, making sure that he had everything he needed.

My Mom and I got to watch him grow up in a matter of three days, and it was wonderful.  New snowmobile and all.  I will never forget Jacob calling Dan and I at ten at night, with an overheated machine, in the middle of nowhere, asking us how to fix it! It was the first night he had it. I am sure that the wind in his hair and the freedom of the beautiful countryside empowered him to embrace life and celebrate!

For every worrisome moment that we all shared leaving Jake in what I call the abyss of the UP, he returned with a 3.2 GPA, taking an internship with an engineering firm this summer, being paid to do what he loves and taking some classes at MCC this summer. He is growing up every day, I am blessed to see such wonderful things from him! No more naked rocking horse riding to Beauty and the Beast.  For this, I will celebrate on Sunday!

 

JAMES

James began a journey of his own this year, we are so very proud of him! James was accepted into Michigan State University, where he plans to major in Engineering. James was on the Varisty Golf Team and played very well this year. He has taken up the art of Disc Golfing, a passion he and my husband share.  I saw him go to prom, celebrate graduating from High School, and become a wonderful, happy young man.

 

I learned that James has found new ways to cope and identify support through his wonderful sister (don't tell him I said that), Mom and Brother. The phone calls and conversations and I love You's that I have heard from James have been so warm and touching, in few words, he says so much. Just like his Dad.  He has learned to embrace those around him and lean on the people that love him when he is struggling, even me. I know, surprising, right?

 

Another young man off to become an adult, it's amazing to me. We are so very proud of his accomplishments. Graduation was a great day. We are vey excited to see him head off to college and experience a whole new world his freshman year.  For this, I will celebrate on Sunday!

 

CONNIE

 

Miracles come in mysterious ways. After losing my job, a devastating blow, in October of 2011, I learned two weeks later that Bruce was battling a terminal condition. I guess there is a plan, we just don't always know it. I was able to have the time that so many desperately wish that they have with loved ones up until the day he passed. I applied for job after job, went on interview after interview, beating myself up the entire time for not being able to get a job. I guess it just wasn't my time. God had other ideas.

 

Just 3 short weeks after Bruce passed, while I was waiting in the airport crying about leaving Jake to die, or so I thought, I was offered a position with Goodwill Industries of Greater Grand Rapids, Inc., as their newly established Safety Manager. An incredible relief to be employed, but had no idea how much of a blessing this organization would be for me and my family.

 

Goodwill has been the best thing that happened to my family and I. The wonderful people here have become a second family, who embrace my personality, appreciate my diversity and are encouraging (paying for) me to pusure my MBA with a focus on Risk Management, can't imagine where I got that passion from.

 

My first day of work, my team took me out to lunch. Jennifer Jordan, the CAO was talking about her role as an attorney in the Grand Rapids area, mentioning that she worked for Smith Haughey in her past years as an attorney, I mentioned that I used to spend a great deal of time in that office as a little girl, playing hookey with my Step-Dad, pretending to be an attorney in the empty office next to his, I told her his name. I saw the look on her face absolutely change, she had realized that I was his daughter and just a short month before, the community of attorneys had lost a great colleague.

 

 I knew then, Bruce had an angel, a wonderful woman to guide and lead me professionally, through a new opportunity in Risk Management, someone to mentor me, as he did in my years with Region 6. Like I said, there is always a greater plan. One that doesn't include law school as I adimately tried to convince Bruce of for many years!  For this, I will celebrate on Sunday!

 

Dan and the kids are doing wonderful. We remodeled the upstairs, it was hard not to have Bruce there with his disapproving, you are overextending yourself look on his face. It turned out awesome. No matter what we decide to do with our house in the future, the piece meal paneling system Bruce patched together with caulk, glue, nails and paneling will always remain behind the refridgerator. Every time the faucet in the bathroom leaks, I laugh, he did after all tell me, "I am an attorney, not a plumber, this isn't going to go well!"  He still lives in my house.

 

Maddie got her driver's license, is starting her junior year of high school and is doing fantastic.  Kenzie developed a new realtionship with Dan, one that resembles her Brampa's, one that allows her to have that outlet she so adored with Bruce. Doesn't replace him, but certianly embraces that missing piece in her life. Nathan graduated from high school, with a 3.9 and Corbin continues to stay just the way his is! Something I adore about him.  We are all healthy and wise in our years. Each of us has learned to appreciate each other more, embarce our successes and not pay so much attention to the things that aren't important. For this I will celebrate, as my insurance rates go through the roof!

 

With Bruce's abscence in my family's life, my husband Dan has become a rock of strength, stability, loyalty, trust and honor. A hard shoe to fill, but one that Dan finds great pride in filling. The relationships that have developed from loss are reasons to celebrate! We are living everyday with a new definition of life, a new norm. It's not too shabby to be honest. For this, I will celebrate!

 

MOM

 

If there ever was someone who can overcome anything, it's my Mom. If there ever was a person, faced with the most devastating of blows, she can come out ok on the other side. Her constant battle with the loss of someone so dear to her is unimaginable in my mind. But, there is hope. Every day, I see a glimmer of who she is becoming.  It's amazing to me the things that she can overcome, the unconditional love she provides. The perseverance to not let anything break her or us. For this, I celebrate!

 

Through all of our families struggles this year, my Mom has been steadfast in her prescence in our lives. No matter the crisis, no matter the problem, she has the ability to be there, to pick each of us up when we are way down, and I mean way down. I don't know how she does it. Each of us, uniquely, has faced insurmountable stuggles this past year, if it weren't for my Mom, I don't think any of us would have made it. My Mom has remained the stars in the sky that guide us through an ocean of struggles. Her selfless commitment to us is the very reason I choose to celebrate on Sunday!  Without her, and the love of Bruce that lives within her soul, we would be lost in the ocean!

 

 

For all of this, I celebrate on Sunday. In the words of LeAnn Womack, "I hope you dance"!