Give Thanks...To Know Them Is A Gift

 A social media friend posted recently that his daughter passed away. I can think of nothing more cruel than to outlive your children. It's something I would not wish on my worst enemies and it's something that haunts me when I consider the future.

His daughter had severe medical conditions which led to her passing. 

My work involves working with a sector of the population that many don't see...not because they're not there, but because people choose not to see them. They're the handicapped, the disabled, those who are not like us. Of course, that final phrase, "not like us," is as offensive as anything that can be said. I've not had someone with these conditions close to me in my life so I can't say I understand what life for the families and friends is like. I do speak with the parents and friends of those who do.

Humanity often looks at itself in terms of eliminating imperfections, as if we can remove the unpleasantness of life simply by wishing it gone. Does that include those who have physical and mental issues? Some would think so. But, speaking to those parents, they know things, have lived through things those of us without their knowledge and experience will never know. The people they care for are not just special, but exceptionally so.

I'm thankful for their example. When I get off the phone after a short conversation with a parent or sibling or friend, I have an admiration for them I can hardly understand. I'm thankful for their strength, their patience, the love they show for others. I can imagine no greater love.

I don't know if I'll get a chance to speak to my friend about his daughter. I know that many can't imagine living the life he and his family have gone through. I'll bet, if I asked him, he would say it was worth it, because he knew her and loved her.

A Song For The Dying...

 Today, as I worked, my wife rehearsed a song. I heard her singing in the front room as I sat behind a closed door. Her high school classmate died recently and a request was sent out to her class madrigal group to sing a tribute to their friend, a song that was the student's favorite...

A song for the dying.

I first asked my wife why she was rehearsing. She told me the story of her friend who passed away. I asked what happened. Turns out the student had a heart attack while driving. It wasn't the crash that took her life.

Heart attack.

I've heard those words many times in the past year. I'm no statistician, but I'll bet you know someone who has had a heart attack, or you know someone...friend, neighbor, co-worker...who has had someone close to them who has had a heart attack in the past year. I say that because I've lost three family members and one friend (ages from 30's to early 60's...) in the past four months...one a month. Statistically speaking, I can't be the only one with so many deaths from heart attacks in their life in the past year.

In our church, there's a phrase I've heard all my life...that in the last days, men's hearts will fail them. This comes from Luke 21:26 which states, "Men's hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken."

I stated before I'm no statistician, nor am I really an expert on the scriptures, but I wonder if those who predicted the end times and talked about failing hearts were talking about actual heart attacks.

My wife recorded her part and downloaded it with the others. Because of the amazing times in which we live, her voice will blend with others and provide a loving tribute for their fallen friend...just another song, one of so many sung and performed in the past year. Too bad it won't be the last song sung for the dying.

I Wore Red Today...

Personally, I love the color red--I have most of my life. Growing up, red was fine. I probably thought my favorite color was blue. Then I moved to Denmark. I fell in love with the color red and I've never stopped. When I moved home, I attended the University of Utah which has the same colors as Denmark--technically, the U's colors are crimson and white, but red's close enough.

Everyone in the state--especially fans of local college teams--understand Red stands for The U. It just does.

Red is the color of heat, of passion, of blood, of rage, or fire. Red is action. Red is life. Today thousands of students across the state of Utah wore red, many, I'm sure loathe the color red and would rather wear blue or purple. But they wore red, not because the necessarily like red. They wore red as a tribute to Lauren McCluskey, a University of Utah student who was killed Monday night...as senseless a tragedy as is possible. 

Social media can be a sewer, but since there's opposition in all things (including social media...), it can be a place to celebrate the good in others. Today students, teachers, and administrators either dug out a red shirt, borrowed one from someone else, or bought one and wore it to support a school in mourning. Today, instead of black to show pain, they wore red.

It's too bad something so horrible can make us appreciate our similarities rather than what we believe are our differences. In a few weeks the state's biggest rivals will meet on the football field to see which team is better on that given day. It's been a one-sided affair as of late, but current trends and past victories won't matter. On the day of the game, I hope we can remember a day we were more together than apart, more unified than separate, basically, the better part of us.

I wore red today. I'd wear red everyday, if I had enough red. Today I wore red not for me, but because the light inside a beautiful woman (both inside and out according to those who knew her...) was extinguished far too early, at the hand of another, whose life ended as well. Because there's opposition in all things, a world with such incredible beauty has such horrifying evil. May we never allow the darkness to stop us from seeing the light.