“For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work
and the love that you have shown for his name
in serving the saints, as you still do."
-Hebrews 6:10
August 22, 2021, at 11:29 PM, my precious wife of 42 years, Sandra Kay Dodd Vollmer, went to heaven. And while she was welcomed by her mother, grandparents, and several aunts and uncles, she left behind two sons, two granddaughters, three siblings, her father, and several other family members. And me.
I don’t know if anyone reading this has ever lost a spouse whom you truly loved, but it’s pretty tough – to put it mildly. It has been the hardest thing I have ever gone through. I can well imagine that losing a child would be on the same level – just a different kind of grief. I pray I never have to experience the loss of one of my children!
So how long does grief last? There is, of course, no definitive answer. It depends on the relationship, the number of years you were in that relationship, and other factors. I have a friend I went to high school with who lost his wife many years ago and he still grieves for her and has never remarried. I can easily identify with him, as I do not believe my grief will ever go away. It will just become easier to cope with.
I would ask you to pray for me, A.J. and Jeff, and my granddaughters. Thank you for that!
On May 27, 2022, the worship leader at my church, Redeemer Evangelical, sang a song titled, “The Empty Chair.” It was written about a man whose wife had died. I recorded his singing the song and thought it was a perfect song for anyone who had lost a spouse. Below is an embed of this song.
I’ve had a few people who were unable to come to Sandra’s memorial service or watch the video stream, so if you are one of those folks, click here to view a recording of that service.
Thank you for being Sandra’s friend! She loved everyone so much!
