Tough week

It was a difficult week for me.  First there was news of the death of a UD student, and while I do not know his family personally, I feel a certain kind of solidarity with all moms who send their kids off to school with a goodbye and a prayer and a hope that you never get a call in the middle of the night with bad news.  How we wish we could protect them from, well, everything....

Then Kevin and I learned of the death of Tyson, a member of our ALS Association support group.  Tyson and his wife Kristen were regular attendees at our meetings.  We struck up a sort-of texting friendship, limited as we were by the nature of ALS and then Coronavirus, which kept us all in our houses.  Usually our texts consisted of me asking for advice on something--hospital beds or toothbrushes, and then Kristen answering with links and support and cheerfulness.

Tyson was 36.  They have two young children.  Oh, my heart....  And yet, death is a tragedy no matter the age.  When you love someone, a life with them is never long "enough."  They are torn from us, and we find ourselves saying, "This just isn't right."  And it isn't, because we were made for more, and somewhere deep inside we know it, we long for it, we rage at the darkness that threatens to take it away.  What sustains me through all of this is the belief in a God who is also angry at death, angry enough to do something about it.  Kevin and I take great comfort from our faith, a faith that includes "the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting."

This song that has been following me around all week.  Even in the middle of the night when I awaken, I find the chorus running through my mind, "It's gonna be ok."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HznXBBCdBE&ab_channel=BECRecordings

At Sharon Woods, doing our part for the ALS Association's "Walk to Defeat ALS"

Thanks to all who donated!!