Jerry's KC Tree and IA Reflections Spot

Relfection spot in Iowa at parents house planted with love by all of us over July 4th weekend.



Tree in park in Kansas City. Waterfall behind, tree and green grass all around.

As Time Passes

As time passes, people say it gets easier... at this point, I find that hard to believe - but will hold out hope that those that have gone thru this speak truth. While it will never be "right", I'm hopefully it will be better. We all miss Jerry every day in the little things. Knowing we will never see his smile, hear his laugh and watch his eyes light up with merriment or be the brunt of a smart alec comment of his.. we still find those moments in our daily lives and think "Jerry would love this".. that will never change and I hope it never does.

Today, I found out that Jerry’z Kidz raised $8,566 dollars in the KC Aids Walk- placing us as the Fourth highest fundraiser this year (we missed 3rd by $94!) Team Clover, Banana Republic and Team Bucket were ahead of us. Jerry would be so proud of all the hard work and effort that everyone put into this years’ walk. I am proud and honored to have worked, laughed and cried among so many of you as well. It was truly a great event and Jerry was with us every step of the way.

I am also extremely happy to report (for those of you that don’t already know) the birth of my 7th “child” – ok, a nephew, but still… Camren Jerry Oehler was born on Sunday, April 19th and while he, Tracy, Kevin and Wyatt weren’t able to make it to the Aids Walk due to medical reasons – he is healthy, beautiful and growing so fast. Jerry’s little namesake is a treasure indeed.

Jerry’s birthday passed us June 21st in a day of reflection and memories and to those close to him- was not forgotten. The first day of Summer was and will be a beautiful, albeit sad, day to remember from now on. Jerry would want it to be a happy day – and it will… eventually. You know you can hear him making comments and rolling his eyes at me right now.. :)

As most of you know, we planted a tree in Theiss park in KC to honor Jerry during the Aids Walk weekend – it is thriving beautifully and I know several people in the KC area have told me how it looks on a regular basis. Over the July 4th weekend, the Cahill family planted another tree, some flowers and made a reflection/memorial area at our parents home in North Liberty, IA. It turned out beautiful and while it has some work to be done yet, it looks great.

It's hard to believe it has been 5 1/2 months since Jerry departed from our world. Challenges come and go in our lives - personally, professionally and privately... mourning the loss of Jerry hits us every level possible. The comfort and support of friends and loved ones in Jerry's life have made it easier on all of us that were touched by his spirit. Knowing we are not going thru this alone and we have many shoulders to cry upon, help share the burden and heartache of this loss will hopefully comfort everyone on some level. Whether it's an e-mail conversation, a phone call, a Facebook posting or a good old fashioned hug and cry fest... we can all get thru this eventually. Time may not heal all wounds, but it sure does help it to not fester...

I know each of us are dealing with his absence in our own ways and I know personally, I feel his loss keenly every day. Some days are better than others. Life is moving on and while it will never be the same, it will move on. Jerry will always remain in our hearts, our memories and our laughter.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person,
An hour to appreciate them,
A day to love them,
And an entire life to forget them.

…..More accurate words have never been spoken…

I wish you all well until next time…