by Tab Taber
I thought I would be better
I thought I would step out
of the fog, the mist, the pain
by now
One year passing
The year of lasts…
last time I saw him
last phone call
last hug
last laugh
The Year of firsts…
First Thanksgiving
Christmas
Birthday
Deathday
without him
in our midst
The memories still vibrant, alive
Yet the hole so gaping
takes my breath away
large enough to crawl inside
and disappear forever
But Live
I try
to honor him
not by dying
but by living
He is speaking
Keep going Dad
I am right beside you
I Love You
Just as you love me
well and good
I am but a breath away
A reach, a cry, a silent prayer
closer than you can know
Rest in that
I’m right here
It’ll be OK
GLTIV
____________________
Tab Taber is the father of SSG George Taber, a Green Beret Medical Sergeant from 7th Group who passed away during a violent storm on Mt Yonah while at the Mountain phase of Ranger school in August 2022.
Tab journals to process his grief and to recollect memories of his son. Occasionally he shares his written thoughts with others on The Havok Journal and on Instagram @gltiv. Other Havok Journal articles about SSG George Taber include “In 37 Days I Made a Friend Who Became My Brother” and “For Those Mourning Loss This Holiday Season.”
As the Voice of the Veteran Community, The Havok Journal seeks to publish a variety of perspectives on a number of sensitive subjects. Unless specifically noted otherwise, nothing we publish is an official point of view of The Havok Journal or any part of the U.S. government.
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