FMG Newsletter: For Lois and Les ❤️
Happy Friday morning!
I’ve got a short one for you this week, as my mind is elsewhere — my dad’s mom left her earthside home on Thursday, and my head and heart are incredibly heavy as we process this loss.
My Grandma Yonker, Lois, was strong, silly, filled with faith, fiercely loyal, deeply opinionated, and a true force to be reckoned with. She is the second grandparent I’ve lost in 2024 — my Grandpa Schumacher, Les, my mom’s dad, went home to heaven in early January after a long life filled with family, laughter, faith, chocolate milk, and the Chicago Cubs. Throughout these past few months, I’ve learned that it’s incredibly challenging to watch your parents go through such deep loss while grieving yourself, but it’s been incredibly moving to see the impact each of these two titans had on their families and their communities, and we rejoice that they’re both now free of pain.
For better or for worse, the way I best know how to process emotion is through scenes from my favorite TV shows, so I wanted to share the below (quick!) scene from Desperate Housewives, which features my favorite poem on death and loss.
All of my grandparents gave me an endless supply of lessons, inspiration, and support — but I’m most grateful that they gave me my parents. I firmly believe that Les and Lois are up in heaven this morning, along with my dear Grandpa Mel, and they’re each sitting with a cup of coffee as they toast together to Joanne and Bill, their respective children who married each other and created a family of their own — a family bound together by the faith, support, and love they each learned at home.
Until we meet again ❤️
XO, Gail