Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/301854
69 July 15, 2007 Chapter Twelve T oday was visitation and there were so many people in Pam's house and so many coming and going I don't really know who stayed over or who slept where. Everyone wanting to feed me somehow gave them comfort in wanting to help and get past their feelings of helplessness. I know now that people don't know what to do for you. I know now they just want to offer you comfort in some way, so my ad- vice: let them serve you in whatever way you need. But how do you prepare yourself to greet so many people when all you want to do is get in the coffin and lay with your child? Arriving at the funeral home, just wanting to touch him and keep my hands on him, to never let him go was my only instinct. After standing by him, after playing with his hair for a long while, I was given a stool and told to sit down. I was okay with that because I could stay right where I wanted to be. I refused to move. I saw people and heard voices but I was not in a mental state to really respond to them at all nor to carry on any semblance of a conver- sation. A gentleman approached me and extended his hand then in- troduced himself as Bryant's third grade baseball umpire. He said he had umped many of Bryant's baseball games back then. Third grade. I didn't think much about him at the time, but later on the