W x 3 = Wet, Weekend, Week

It has been a wet and wild week for us- nope not due to rain outside but to unwanted water inside. On Sunday a pipe inside Colin's radiator burst causing a flood in his room and a giant mess in the room below- which is my craft room. If you are someone that scrapbooks you can imagine how much "stuff" was in the room. Paper, stickers, photos and lots of mementos from our family. I am grateful that all actual scrapbooks have been saved. Colin and I were relocated to a hotel down the street and Mike braved the heat and the noise from the machine left behind for the week to dry things up. The company will return on Friday morning to determine if the hot box drying method has worked or if Colin's room also needs to get torn apart.

For me I like to have all the stuff- keeping way more items from the boys childhoods than a sane person could ever need. Losing any of it is heartbreaking- but it is just stuff. Colin was not hurt, our home can be repaired and the memories that we, and you, have of Shane can not be lost from water or death.

This weekend is Father's Day- it will be another difficult day to navigate after losing Shane. Mike's Dad - Jim- passed away on June 12, 2006. For Mike- and I am speaking for him, which I probably should not - Father's day has been a day of reflection- a day to remember his father and a time to sometimes reflect on how he might want to be different than his Dad was and to think about the relationship he wants to establish with his own sons.

Once you become a parent, at least for me, you think about your childhood and how you were raised. You think about what you liked and what you perhaps did not. Anyone reading this that is a parent I am sure can think of times when they have said- I will never do that.

On the Shaw side of things we of course have a tradition for Father's Day and that is to do a BBQ. Another tradition is that both Mike and my Dad will expect me to make them each their own strawberry rhubarb pie.

I do not know how Mike will want to spend his day- but after Mother's Day coming first- I can anticipate how he will feel. I hope that he will be able to remember all the good and amazing things he showed, taught and did with Shane. When he looks into Colin's eyes- he can always see what a great Dad he is and how much Colin admires and loves him.

In just two weeks we will be on the Cape to celebrate Shane on what would've been his 22nd birthday. A day that we will again be surrounded by many people whos lives have been impacted by Shane. I anticipate that it will be amazing and awful. Two things that we are getting good at.

We will be surrounded by our families and the people that Shane chose to be like family to him. I know that there will be more tears to come- but I am hoping for laughter, I am hoping for stories, I am hoping that once again when we combine all the worlds that Shane was part of that we will all continue to learn more and more about the amazing young man that Shane was.

I am confident that we will see beautiful signs of him being right there with us. We all just have to remember to be aware of who and what is around us, we need to be present, we need to look up and to be willing to let him come and visit us.

Above all else I know that we will all be wishing that we could have gotten more time.

My blog wrap up-

-make sure you and all of those in your family know how to turn the water off in your house!

-if you are lucky enough to still have your Dad alive- please use this weekend not to give him a tie, or a box of golf balls but give him your time and give him your words. Tell him in person- or at least write it down- how much your father means to you and what you are most thankful for.

-and if your father is not still on this earth be sure to still take the time to celebrate him, thank him and be sure to look around so you can see his signs.