Last week, I lost my father - Benjamin Thomas Livingston - after complications following his triple bypass surgery. The experience has left a profound effect on my family, as we've been coping with this loss in different ways. My mother has been hit the hardest by it for completely understandable reasons but has remained strong throughout. As for myself, I have found solace in the fact that my father is no longer in the pain he was, neither is he suffering from being in a catatonic state due to his surgery. This and several friends who I consider like family to me sending comfort in condolences, prayers, and love - one of these friends being Miss Vanessa Marshall.
Last month, Vanessa sent my mother an autographed photo of her character Hera from the Disney XD program Star Wars Rebels - a super-kind gesture that has not since been forgotten among my family. The day that the photograph arrived in the mail, it was my father who got it first and gave it to my mother to open (she had no idea at the time what it was because I wanted to keep it secret a whole 23 days before Christmas). At the time, I was a little disappointed that I had not gotten to the package first and my mother opened her gift earlier than expected, but I'm thankful for it now because my father got to see how great of a friend I have in Vanessa.
Vanessa has been an amazing support in my life in the last eight months we've followed each other on Twitter and befriended over Facebook. She is more than a talented actress and celebrity; she is a very kind-hearted woman who has continued to bring a smile on my mother's face, even in this time of tragedy for my family. While my father was in recovery from his surgery, I asked Vanessa to keep him in her prayers, and she did just that (I sincerely believe hers were the strongest among the many I received). But our Heavenly Father called on my father's spirit at a time when his body could no longer bear the agony he has gone through in the time prior to his surgery.
The morning following that restless night me and my mother spent hours after my father passed away, "Idiot's Array" - the episode of Rebels that aired on my father's last night on Earth - rebroadcasted on Disney XD. I was in and out of sleep, and so was my mother, so I decided to leave it on the channel to watch the episode. Watching it brought some ease over my mother, and she eventually drifted off to sleep. Now I know that normally when someone falls asleep watching a program is sign of said program being "boring," but, in this case, Rebels (a show that my mother loves dearly) helped her to find peace enough to rest, following the loss of her husband/my father.
Star Wars Rebels is an incredible show, not only because of the amazing cast and characters, but the story as well. Since I first saw Star Wars in late 1996 on VHS, I have loved virtually every movie, video game, comic book, or TV show that has been made from the franchise. My mother has been a longer fan than I, having lived through the age of both the original trilogy and the prequels (she's very much looking forward to the next installment, coming this December). She loves the character Hera, who she has a commonality with (rightfully so, since Hera is considered the mother of the Ghost crew), as well as the voice (beautifully done by Vanessa). A couple of nights ago, I caught her (fully consciously) watching "Idiot's Array," which she was able to get around to checking out after such a heavy week of making arrangements for my father's funeral, which we held last Saturday. It was the most relaxed I have seen her all week.
Rebels is more than just a show for my mother and me these days; it is a sign that the days ahead of us, without the comfort of my father's physical presence near us, are going to be just fine. In retrospect, the show's main players (Kanan, Hera, Sabine, Zeb, and especially Ezra) have all lost someone in their lives but found each other through hope. They are a family all of their own. There's a scene at the end of the pilot episode in which Kanan listens to a message from Obi-Wan Kenobi. My brother, who turns 39 this Saturday, mentioned how my father is like Obi-Wan, a wise old warrior that has become a spirit that still guides us in the afterlife. Ironically, both men's nicknames are "Old Ben." ;-)
For the cast and crew of Star Wars Rebels that get a chance to read this blog, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for making such an excellent show that has helped a mother and her son cope with the loss of a loved one.
