Sunday morning, our friends told us the story of Christian, an energetic young man they knew who drowned last week in an Everett swimming pool. As they described their thoughts and feelings from the week, our friends said
We will never have enough time with family in this life.
When someone you know, or even a friend of a friend, who is twenty years young dies while playing in the pool, it makes you want to cling to those you love, especially your children and parents, sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles. We should savor and cherish each other.
Then again, we can’t spend every moment 24/7 with all of our relatives. We can’t live by fear. We shouldn’t suffocate each other.
If I believe in a life after this one, a life that is eternal, one that never ends, then I should put my hope and effort now towards spending the life to come with those I love. There, in eternity, there will be no clocks. No ticking of time towards a finite limit. No hearts that stop or lungs that exhale and expire.
A friend of ours mourned his brother last week. Reading Jenny’s story on Monday, learning how her friend J. lost her 7 year old daughter M. also emphasized this lesson more to me. It seems to be a sober week. A sad week. But a week to remind me that no matter how long we live, we take our last breath too soon. When I close my eyes for the last time, I don’t want to say goodbye to my family. Instead I want to say see you later…
Note: as I prepared to publish this post, I saw that Liz Lawley has experienced sudden loss this week also. My sorrow, sympathy and prayers for all who are grieving and missing those they knew and loved.
