Shit Happens

A very dear friend lost her husband to cancer this week. You know, the funeral home is probably one of the most awkward places in the world, besides maybe the adult bookstore. Anyway, when I finally took my turn to greet the family, I told my friend "I'm so sorry you have had to go through all this," not being able to think of anything more original. She said "Yeah, me too, but as Gary said 'shit happens.'"

My friend in her grief, was still able to make me feel comfortable in the most awkward situation.

It's so hard to watch someone else go through the pain of losing someone they truly love. And then you start to realize, "Wow, I now have a friend who is a widow. When is my turn coming?" You've all done it as you have watched friends lose their parents. You start thinking about it and realizing that everyone gets a turn at this kind of grief. You know that you will deal with it, but it still haunts your thoughts. I even compare the ages at which my grandparents died with my parents' current ages and wonder if that is really all the time I have left with them. It is very sobering.

Of course, none of us know when our time is coming or how. It just stinks to see someone you care about go through so much pain. I guess all we can do is look for peace in God's love and realize that those we have "lost" are not really lost. They have simply passed beyond the horizon and we are following and will eventually catch up to them.