The Wounds of Grief
Reluctant Journey of a Christian Widower
by
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Hold My Hand Forever
Hold my hand forever, and don’t ever let me go.
Our love is more special to me than you will ever know.
God gave me His Holy Spirit to guide me here below.
He gave me you to provide happiness to my soul.
Irreplaceable
Lingering or instant, expected or not,
the death of a loved one leaves an empty spot—
one that can never be filled that very same way:
the things that they did, the words they would say.
Sadness
Sadness is when the one that you love the most dies—
no more smiles on your face, just tears in your eyes.
In agony, the pain and sorrow hurt beyond measure;
your time together was something
you will forever treasure.
The Memory Channel
These days, my mind stays tuned
to the memory channel in my heart.
Time has passed since the Lord called you home
and death pulled us apart.
Wherever I travel, I see reminders
of the life we had together.
Then I think of Heaven,
where one day we’ll be reunited forever.
Never Leave My Heart
Though you’re no longer by my side,
I still look for you far and wide.
But thank God, you are still in my heart.
In there, we will never be apart.
Anniversary of the Day You Died
This date will forever remain
indelibly etched in my heart and mind:
it was on this date the Lord took you home
and left me here behind.
From that day forward, my life on earth
has never been the same;
the life I planned to live with you
is not what it became.
Never Forget
When a loved one dies,
memories about them fill your mind.
Most others will soon forget them;
only a few will remember.
New things take over—
the old is forgotten and left behind.
But you will remember forever
when your heart stays tender.
Grief Is Not a Contest
Grief is not a contest
to see who handles pain best.
Others don’t know how you feel,
so just ignore their baseless spiel.
Sometimes you will feel extremely tense
when feeling that way doesn’t make any sense.
Your moods may change without any warning;
that’s just a part of grief—it’s called mourning.
Some show no sorrow over the death of their loved one;
like you, the way they handle grief is theirs alone.
Whether expressed or suppressed, grief is not a contest;
we all must handle grief in the way that suits us best.
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About the Book
If you have ever experienced a deep sadness over the loss of a close loved one, you will recognize the poems in The Wounds of Grief as snapshots of many of the intense emotions that you felt but perhaps were never quite able to describe in words.
Instead of allowing himself to be bullied into following society’s schedule to “get over it” and to “move on,” Jerry Vornholt has used his poems to warmly recall how many of the very ordinary events that he and his wife took for granted have now become some of his most precious memories.
Jerry and his wife, Sharon, frequently referred to themselves as a team throughout the forty-eight years that they had the privilege to be together. Several of the poems in this book focus on his intense desire for that relationship to be continued in heaven.
About the Author
For nearly forty-eight years, Jerry Vornholt and his wife, Sharon, were virtually inseparable. After retiring from active careers in the business and education fields, they moved to Florida with the goal of traveling and serving the Lord together as a team. But just four years later, Jerry was completely devastated by the untimely death of Sharon. While struggling with the intense grief that followed, he developed two new goals for his life. One was to learn as much as he could about his wife’s new home up in Heaven, and the other was to concentrate on things that will last rather than on those things that will one day fade away. Pursuing those goals quickly resulted in deeper empathy for others who were also struggling. It was that empathy that led him to becoming active as a volunteer chaplain at the Avon Park Correctional Institution, writing and designing inspirational greeting cards, and writing two books, The Wounds of Grief and To Be Continued in Heaven. Since the death of his wife, Jerry has continued to live in their former home in Sebring, Florida.