A moment of Silence

Earlier this month there was a tragic fire in North Carolina. Six USC students and one Clemson student died at a beach house they were visiting for the weekend. A very sad day for all of their family and friends. Tragedies really puts things in perspective.

One of my and my lovely Bride's favorite people in the whole world lost her niece in the fire. She (the niece) was obviously well loved, and well respected, by her family, her friends, her employers and her teachers. A promising life was cut short.

Her aunt is quite a shining light herself. She is well respected in her profession, and socially, she is the kind of person who makes you feel like the world is a better place for her being in it- a genuine good hearted soul with her feet planted firmly on the ground.

Tragedy has struck and many hearts are filled with sorrow. Parents are not supposed to bury their children. Many of us stand on the sidelines wishing we could do something to help sooth some of the heartbreak.

If I could I would share about how I watched my parents bury my brother. At the time it sucked. How the sun did rise again and the flowers bloomed again despite the sadness that seemed like it would never give way. We were lucky in some ways--in the end it brought our family closer. How I was eventually able to look with gratitude for the time I got to spend with my brother, How that gratitude made the bitterness a little easier to deal with. Basically, there is light at the end of the tunnel. But, I do not want to sound trite or insensitive either. Grief moves at its own pace.

I have come to look at loss and death more with a kind of duality of feelings that one would not normally think of as being complimentary--joy and sorrow. Joy for the life that was shared and experiences lived. Joy for the privilege of having been able to share that life. Joy for the love that life brought to me and to others around me. Sorrow for the immediate loss.

Hopefully the family and friends who lost these loved ones so sadly can find some peace of mind, heart and soul in their moment of pain. They are in our thoughts and prayers.