Seasons (an older entry)
Within the last five days (as of April 18th), my circle of high school friends has lost two parents. It's the first time consciously experiencing death this personal, more due to luck than anything else. I don't remember losing the attachment of grandparents passing quite as well since it happened so long ago--time waits for no one, and for twenty-five years, perhaps it's time.
The sudden passing of these two people, whose children I can safely say were close friends of mine, has really made me realize how blessed I've been to have never had to attend a funeral until now. Seriously, in a quarter of a century (wow), I've never remembered attending a funeral. I've never had to deal with contemplating the earthly loss of a living, breathing human being I knew. You can't beat the odds though--last I checked, just about ten out of ten people these days end up dying.
The personal impact of a death in the family is still something I've been able to avoid so far though, as if I had any say in how that goes. I'm left wondering how best I can be a friend to my two friends whose fathers have quite suddenly departed this mortal existence. I really want to just hug them and be a shoulder for them to lean on, but hell if that's something men really do these days. Deep hugs all around when I next see them. I love my friends too much to do anything else.
1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rent, and a time to lose; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
--Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, KJV
So reads some of the last written words of King Solomon, wisest man on Earth.
The sudden passing of these two people, whose children I can safely say were close friends of mine, has really made me realize how blessed I've been to have never had to attend a funeral until now. Seriously, in a quarter of a century (wow), I've never remembered attending a funeral. I've never had to deal with contemplating the earthly loss of a living, breathing human being I knew. You can't beat the odds though--last I checked, just about ten out of ten people these days end up dying.
The personal impact of a death in the family is still something I've been able to avoid so far though, as if I had any say in how that goes. I'm left wondering how best I can be a friend to my two friends whose fathers have quite suddenly departed this mortal existence. I really want to just hug them and be a shoulder for them to lean on, but hell if that's something men really do these days. Deep hugs all around when I next see them. I love my friends too much to do anything else.
1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rent, and a time to lose; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
--Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, KJV
So reads some of the last written words of King Solomon, wisest man on Earth.