Remembering Georgi

Georgi with his family.  (Sasha is the littlest one.)

A year ago today, Sasha’s dad passed away.  The anniversary of a traumatic event is often a time of increased grief and stress for those who went through it.  In Bulgaria, it is traditional to commemorate the anniversary of the passing of a loved one.  Today we went to Sasha’s hometown to be with family and remember Sasha’s father.

We visited the grave early in the morning with the traditional bread, wine, water, and grain.  The bread and wine symbolize the body and blood of Christ just like in church communion services.  The water symbolizes the water of baptism (a longstanding and ancient tradition by which Christians demonstrate faith in Jesus).  The grain represents the hope of resurrection.  These four elements in concert paint a complete picture of the Gospel.  We are saved through Jesus’ death and resurrection.  This salvation comes to us by grace through faith, and it will lead to the bodily resurrection of all who believe.

After the visit to the grave, we had a meal with the family back at the house and spent the day together remembering Georgi.

At one point, I was siting on a chair doing a Sudoku out of the local newspaper.  I suddenly remembered how I would often sit doing Sudoku while Georgi sat on the next chair over reading the sports section.  I was blessed to get to know him, and we all continue to miss him dearly.