"It will get easier”.
It didn’t matter if it came from a familiar face at the funeral home, a stranger in the supermarket, or the refs at my own basketball game, I’d never believe it no matter how many times I heard it. At only 13, with a life full of birthdays, holidays, and milestones ahead of me, it seemed like nothing would ever be "easy" for our family again. Our happiest moments were largely hindered by the fact that a main character was missing--and would be forever--but it was the day-to-day, mundane parts of life that weighed heaviest on my heart.
Sam's Message 2019
Sam's Message 2018
A Daughter's Note
On April 27, 2010, I felt every emotion all at once. I was angry at the Universe for deciding it was my father’s time to leave this Earth. I was confused as to why it had to be our picture-perfect family that was being torn apart. I was devastated at the realization my dad would no longer be on the sideline of my basketball games yelling for me to “Finish strong!” At 13 years old, I was experiencing emotions and feelings many 30 year olds had the luxury to not yet feel.
Sam's Message 2017
An Angel's Trip, by Samantha Stinchcomb
Ever since my father passed away, certain things have started to take on a new meaning. Songs such as “Faithfully” by Journey and “Rappers Delight” by Sugerhill Gang are now our personal family anthems. Movies such as “Hoosiers” and “Caddy Shack” can make us cry just because we miss his laughter and repetition of those legendary lines. One of the strangest transformations, however, has been the color orange. Bright orange shorts are what my dad became known for; first on the golf course, then at parties, then almost anywhere. What started out as an inside joke among friends, became one of the biggest roles in our lives: The Wayne Stinchcomb Big Orange Foundation.