Feeling the Love After Losing My Dad to Mesothelioma

• Joseph Belluck
• Faces of Mesothelioma, Family, Mesothelioma

The day that my father passed away was a day full of shock, grief, and sadness. These feelings overwhelmed me, and figuring out how to process them seemed to be an insurmountable task. The days and weeks following, it seemed as though I was in a fog. I was lost and trying to make some sense, any sense, of what had just happened. That was when I realized that I needed to look beyond the grief to find the love.

The day that my father passed away was a day full of love, support, and compassion. Within minutes of receiving a call that Dad wasn’t breathing, a friend came to my home to be with me until my husband arrived home from work. After we got the news that he had passed away, we began to make some calls of our own. These resulted in an ocean of love.

When I finally got the courage to pick up the phone, I called one of my dearest friends who was an hour away. I was scared; saying the words out loud that my Dad was gone made it seem more real. She answered, thankfully, and I told her what had happened. I just needed to let someone know, not expecting anything at all. Within an instant, her husband, one of my oldest and closest friends, showed up at my door. He ended up driving us the three hours to my parents’ home only to turn around and make the trip back. That is love.

During this time, our family began to come. No one said a word; they just hugged us and cried. There was nothing to be said, nor was there a need for a conversation. Knowing that they were there for us gave us all that we needed, love.

When we arrived at my parents’ home, we were greeted by more family members who were there to support us. Throughout the next several days, the outpouring of this love was more than I could handle. I never knew that you could feel so much comfort in the wake of inexplicable sadness.

God truly blesses us with exactly what we need at the moment that it is called for. Through all of our hardest times through Dad’s journey with mesothelioma, we were always met with a helping hand, a hug, and a promise of prayer. I can never repay those who were there for my family and me during this time, but when I think about it, I don’t believe they would want us to try. We are surrounded by the most amazing people and I truly thank God for them every day.  They were able to help me see the love through the tears.

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