Many will remember Edwin Abonyo as the strong man who lit up the mood during the funeral service of his wife, Bomet Governor Joyce Laboso.
But it has been a long lonely one year since his wife passed for Mr. Abonyo. During this time, his life has been marked by unending sadness as his family marked the first anniversary of her passing on today.
Speaking a local publication, Abonyi said he is yet to move on since his wife lost her battler with cancer on July 29 last year.
Reflecting on their life without Joyce, Abonyo said life has not been rosy and they “interludes of sadness occasionally creep in, mostly during occasions where they would naturally have been together, like a family gathering, Christmas and funerals.
“Loneliness has been a reality to me. It is something I battle with since Joyce left us,” he said, noting that the sting is even deep given they were not just spouses, but friends.
“I miss a mate, a friend, a mother to both our nuclear and extended family, a life partner, a truly inspirational wife who genuinely made a difference in my life and that of our children,” he told the Star.
Joyce and Abonyo had been married for 36 years and were blessed with two sons and adopted other children from their extended families.
Abonyo further said his children are also yet to move on and still have daily struggled to accept the death of their mother.
“The children are equally affected and I believe they react just as I do. They are all trying their best to move on, make their mother proud, and adapt to this new normal. Mother’s Day was particularly hard for them this year but they pulled through it, with their friends and each other’s support,” he said.
To cope with the loneliness he has been receiving support from family and friends as well as engaging himself in farming, business, and other jobs to keep afloat and assuage his pain.
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“One way I’ve dealt with it is by keeping busy in my farm, construction company, and the various boards he serves, including his recent appointment in State Corporation Advisory Committee.
Edwin advised his fellow lonely souls to keep busy to alleviate the loneliness.
Apart from counseling he has been receiving, he said he has not sought professional help citing unwavering support from friends and family members.
The late Joyce Laboso’s family announce they will create Dr. Joyce Laboso Global Cancer Education Fund that will help support medics interested in studying oncology to raise the number of such specialists from 35 to 1,000 in the country.
