A Wedding & A Funeral
I remember that night, close to 29 years ago. I was in Connecticut at my sister’s house while she was at the hospital. She would call every few hours or so complaining about how long it was taking and how horrible it was, but there was nothing we could do (or that we knew of at the time). We just waited, and in the morning we finally got another call from her telling us he was born. Yes, my sister had been in a long labor overnight, finally giving birth to her first son. (If I only knew then what I know now, I would have made sure she had a doula and I would have been there supporting her!).
Well just a few weeks ago, that little baby got married, no longer a little boy. The wedding was in Vermont and it was a beautiful day. My son was a ring bearer and took his job very seriously; he was very proud of his work and loved walking down the aisle. It was the first time my whole family was together in more than seven years. It was a wonderful weekend.
On that same day, at the other end of the country during a totally different service, my brother-in-law was being laid to rest. He was my husband’s brother, and passed away earlier in the week. While death is never convenient, this one was particularly hard because my husband had to make last minute changes & cancel his trip to Vermont and head to Florida. I wanted to be there with him. I wanted to support him. But I also wanted to be in Vermont. I know he wanted to be with us. We had to go our separate ways that weekend, not being there for each other.
It just reminds you how precious life is. Here we are living our daily lives, doing our routines, while two people got married and are looking forward to a life together. At the same time, another family is dealing with the loss of their father, grandfather, brother & husband. Things can’t be much different than that. It’s a range of emotions. During the two weeks since then, many of my thoughts and prayers have been with my husband & his family, and my nephew Stephen & his wife Julie.
Life is too short. We need to appreciate those around us, thank them for what they do and who they are, and show them love in some form. It will make every day easier and more fulfilling. Be thankful for our health, our family and our friends. Be hopeful for the future. Dream big and don’t give up hope.
