Try

Try

The little things

The little things

The tiniest of things can end up being the biggest memories.....

Lucky No Matter What

Lucky No Matter What

I am blessed to have been Will's father.

My life is not all about the loss of Will; it is about living.

Life is life.

Life is life.

It is amazing how long ago Will's death feels in some ways and at the same time other emotions about it feel so fresh.  Does that even make sense?

There is a moment of struggle in every day.

There are days full of struggle.

Sometimes I want to give in.

Other times I just want to run.

I struggle the other times.

An honor

An honor

Someone special put a dozen roses on Will's grave yesterday.

The roses were originally given to her in honor of her late husband, Ken Timbs, as part of a posthumous Lifetime Achievement presentation. Ken was a star in the world of professional wrestling and his family have become bright stars in my life. If you know anything about Will, you know he loved professional wrestling especially the wrestlers working in the local independent promotions. Ken was more than just a wrestler, he was trainer, a mentor and a friend to many of the same wrestlers that Will admired.

They are both gone but forever together.

Thank you Juanita Timbs for honoring Will.

Smile Smile Smile

Smile Smile Smile

If I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression, and smile,

Job 9:27 (NIV)

I'm fine?

I'm fine?

Tell it like it really is.

Ten Ways to Love

Ten Ways to Love

Smile

Smile

10 Things you must give up to move forward

10 Things you must give up to move forward

Not just for people that area grieving.

Our last photo together

Our last photo together

Today is my birthday and I am miserable.

With a great day planned, I can not think of anything else but Will.

This photo is one I look at all the time.  It was taken the Sunday before Will died as we walked to the Braves game from our parking spot.  The day he ran the bases will always be a treasured memory.  We waited in the longest line ever just so he could get on the field and run the bases.  He knew that his Mom and I were getting impatient and told me several times that we could just leave saying "It won't be my last Braces game for sure."  He loved going to the ballpark.   There was no way I was going to disappoint him and leave now.

It was amazing to watch him running the bases.  Someone from the Braves took a photo of him running around second and his feet were both in the air.  It is amazing. I have the photo hanging on my living room wall and need to find a way to share it.  Watching the video of him running the bases today was almost torture but I miss him so much.    

Bruce Lee quote

Bruce Lee quote

So very true.

WILLpower is Phillipians 4:13!

I can do ALL thing through Christ who strengthens me

What the going gets rough.......SMILE!

People come and go

People come and go

Friends come and go.

Family members will leave your life because of the trauma involved in dealing with a death.

Be true to yourself. Love yourself. Let them go.

I have lost almost everyone in my life since losing Will. Friends, family and acquaintances are gone.

I will survive and so can you.

Keep your head up.

Lean on God.  He will ALWAYS be there for you!

Written about Will

Written about Will

This is what a young girl, Cheyenne French, wrote for her homework.

Meet My Hero: Will Grason

Will inspires me because he was a good friend everyone love him he helped me be the best soccer player will is the best person

Don't Quit

Don't Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

- Author unknown

Don't allow it

Don't allow it

Mortality

Mortality

Grieving reminds me every day of mortality and just how short life really is.

You need to go out of your way while grieving to take care of yourself. All kinds of things get pushed to the side while dealing with your grief but don't punish yourself. It is too easy too not eat right. It is too easy to not get off the couch, especially when you are down. It is too east to ignore symptoms of potential health problems.

Don't let it happen to you. I had a pretty good slap in the face recently and now, in retrospect, I realize that I should have known all along. You can not lose focus of what is still important. You have to take care of yourself.

What is Normal after your child dies?

What is Normal after your child dies?

Original poem by Tara & Heath Carey

Normal is having tears waiting behind every smile when you realize someone important is missing from all the important events in your family's life.

Normal is trying to decide what to take to the cemetery for Birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years, Valentine's Day, July 4th and other special occasions.

Normal is feeling like you can't sit another minute without getting up and screaming, because you just don't like to sit through anything anymore.

Normal is not sleeping very well because a thousand what if's & why didn't I's go through your head constantly.

Normal is reliving the evening of Will's death continuously through your eyes and mind, holding your head to make it go away.

Normal is having the TV on the minute you walk into the house to have noise, because the silence is deafening.

Normal is staring at every boy who looks like he is Taylor's age. And then thinking of the age he'd would be now. Then wondering why it is even important to imagine it, because it will never happen.

Normal is every happy event in your life always being backed up with sadness lurking close behind, because of the hole in your heart.

Normal is telling the story of your child's death as if it were an everyday, commonplace activity, and then seeing the horror in someone's eyes at how awful it sounds. And yet realizing it has become a part of your "normal." 

WOW! That one really hit home!

Normal is each year coming up with the difficult task of how to honor your childs's memory and their birthdays and survive these days. And trying to find the balloon or flag that fit's the occasion. Happy Birthday? Not really.

Normal is my heart warming and yet sinking at the sight of something special Will loved. Thinking how he would love it, but how he is not here to enjoy it.

Normal is having some people afraid to mention my son, Will Grason.

Normal is making sure that others remember him.

Normal is after the funeral is over everyone else goes on with their lives, but we continue to grieve our loss forever.

Normal is weeks, months, and years after the initial shock, the grieving gets worse, not better.

Incredible but so true!

Normal is not listening to people compare anything in their life to this loss, unless they too have lost a child. Nothing compares.  NOTHING.

Normal is realizing you do cry everyday.

Every day!

Normal is being impatient with everything and everyone but someone stricken with grief over the loss of their child.

Normal is sitting at the computer while looking at photos and videos while laughing and crying simultaneously.

I added that one.... 

Normal is not listening to people make excuses for God.

"God may have done this because…"

I know, without a doubt that Will is in Heaven, but hearing people trying to think up excuses as to why a fantastic young man was taken from this earth is not appreciated and makes absolutely no sense to this grieving father.

Normal is being too tired to care if you paid the bills, cleaned the house, did the laundry or if there is any food.

Check. Check. Check and check.

Normal is wondering this time whether you are going to say you have two children or one child, because you will never see this person again and it is not worth explaining that Taylor is dead.

And yet when you say you have one child to avoid that problem, you feel horrible as if you have betrayed the dead child.

Normal is asking God why he took your child's life instead of yours.

Normal is knowing you will never get over this loss, not in a day nor a million years.

Normal is having therapists agree with you that you will never "really" get over the pain and that there is nothing they can do to help you because they know only bringing back your child back from the dead could possibly make it "better."

Normal is learning to lie to everyone you meet and telling them you are fine. You lie because it makes others uncomfortable if you cry. You've learned it's easier to lie to them then to tell them the truth that you still feel empty and it's probably never going to get any better -- ever.

And last of all...

Normal is hiding all the things that have become "normal" for you to feel, so that everyone around you will think that you are "normal."

The above poem was originally written by Tara and Heath Carey after they lost their daughters Violet and Iris in 2002 when natural gas caused their apartment to explode. I have taken the liberty to rewrite and change parts of the poem to fit it more to Will's personality. I hope you are able to apply the same techniques to this poem to help you remember your child.

My Grief Pocket

My Grief Pocket

There is this tiny pocket that holds my grief.

I keep it buried in a place deep inside my brain.

When I grieve I push the feeling away and hide it in my grief pocket.

It is my way to run from those feelings.

In the end there is no way to outrun them.

My grief pocket's zipper just burst.

Will the protector

Will the protector

Looking through some old photos and found this.

He loved Paige more than anyone but his family and would go out of his way to make sure she was ok.  I know the he continues to look after her in his own way.

My wish

My wish

Thursday, 08/02/12

It never stops

It never stops

The love you have for someone does not end after they have left this earth. It is with great joy that I continue to love Will with all my heart. I think about him constantly and will continue to share his story.

Post Father's Day

Post Father's Day

Father's Day was pretty good this year.  I had a chance to spend some time with my Father and share some great memories.  My Mom was looking good and giving my Dad a hard time.  It was the weekend of their 49th wedding anniversary and it was nice to see them enjoying themselves.   I shared a letter that I found that Will had written to one of his friends.   

The letter was reminder of how Will dealt with the challenges that he faced as a 9 year old.  It was direct, to the point and did not mince words.  His friend had hurt his feelings, he wanted them to know and have an opportunity to make things right.   It was an amazing glimpse of the boy that I miss so much.  I want to be more like him every day.   How often does someone hurt our feelings and we don't let them know.  They might not have any idea.  His words were not confrontational, he was just being honest about his feelings.

I carry the letter in my wallet and have pulled it out several times since Father's Day. 

Team WILLpower presents Pro Wrestling to benefit the Special Olympics of Haralson County

Team WILLpower presents Pro Wrestling to benefit the Special Olympics of Haralson County

Be sure to check out willgrasonmemorial.com for all the info on Team WILLpower events.

Each event is part of my effort to keep Will's goals and principles alive.

The main focus of our events to date have been to fund Kids Beach Club programs in Paulding County schools.

Please support this event if you are in the area.

The Return of the Blog - Part 1

The Return of the Blog - Part 1

It is has been months since anything new has been posted to my blog.   I have sat down several times to write something but it always sounded too negative to post.  Life has been tough lately and I have not found much that I have wanted to share publicly.   The trials and tribulations of life have brought me to a point that I never thought I would have to face. 

With every memory is a smile.

With every smile is a tear.

With every tear is a wish.

With every wish is a prayer.

Never give up.

Never give in.

Never forget.

Those words came to me after looking at some photos of Will and shedding a few tears. 

I miss Will more than ever.  

Happy Easter

Happy Easter


Holidays are still tough.  


I have some great memories of Easter with Will.


Here is a series of photos from Easter 2004.  We spent Easter with my parents and Will had a blast.

Happy Easter!!