Day 102

The following is an email that I sent to my colleagues and friends at ETI not long after Damian died. I wanted to acknowledge their love and kindness in the days following his death...

January 4, 2022

To My ETI Friends and Family, 

 

December 11, 2021 will forever be a day of excruciating grief for me and my wife Dawn. Future anniversaries of this day will undoubtedly be filled with sorrow, melancholy and remembrances of a life that once was – one that we held so dear – but is no longer. But we will also remember the unconditional support and outpouring of love that we received from our ETI family, all of you, in the hours, days and weeks following the news of Damian’s death. 

 

To tell you that we appreciated what you did for us would be a disservice to what it meant to us in those first few days. It gave us the strength that we needed to get out of bed, to do the things that needed to be done. Because we knew that we had an entire extended family grieving with us, but also pulling for us by availing yourselves in whatever ways we needed to get through the day. 

 

I have been with ETI for nearly 18 years. In that time, the company has been very fortunate in that we have not had to face tragedy. Yes, we have had colleagues die and we mourned their loss as we should. But this was different. This hurt in a way that we didn’t know we could hurt. For many of you, that hurt continues, as it does for us. Yet, we continue to draw strength from your compassion and support, an unbreakable spirit of solidarity that we see and feel almost every day. A love that helps soften the edges of the hurt that we feel. 

 

While we don’t know what lies in store as we start this long, terrible journey without Damian, we take comfort in knowing that we have all of you, our ETI friends and family, by our side. 

 

With much love, kindness and gratitude, 

 

Chris & Dawn

The love and support from my colleagues continues to this day. They are remarkable people and I will forever be in their debt. 

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