A new year is meant to be a time of new beginnings, goals and resolutions and a fresh start. For me, the day is not a happy one. On New Year’s Eve, I learned that I lost my Dad. I lost my Mother more than 16 years before. As an old friend said, after losing his second parent, he felt like an orphan. That is the feeling. The people, who knew you from birth, are gone.
So, this new year brings with it the prospect of a sad funeral, along with my sister and brother, getting my Dad’s affairs in order and facing the new year without him.
As a Christian, the only thing that matters is that he had accepted Jesus, was in the Book of Life and is in Heaven today. That is the only thought that provides any comfort. 
One of the toughest things about getting older is the inevitable fact that you will lose your parents and have to say good-bye to them. They brought you into the world, made sure that you were clothed and fed and sent off to school. They were interested in your life, your successes and low moments, your milestones and your own family. They shared your holidays and remembered your birthdays.
You cared about them deeply, wanted to know they were okay, and then one day, they are gone.
Love you Dad. You were a blessing to me. The new year just won’t be quite the same without you.
This was a beautiful realization of our lives…yes, without our parents we are orphans and we accept our own mortality.
We do find comfort in our Christian beliefs because we know though our faith that we’ll see our loved ones again. I lost my Dad at Christmas in 97 and at 72, he left too soon. A holiday loss does cause sadness each year as we reflect again on the day they left us.
Just know that you have friends who care and we are remembering you in our prayers. God bless you in this New Year.