As I sit in the wee hours, unable to sleep, I checked my email. Once again, it is filled with messages from friends sending love. I am overwhelmed by the goodness of the people in our life.
Old friends have appeared at the door,to hug or say hello. They are just making sure we are ok and keeping us from lonely moments. Friends and relatives email daily, keeping us busy answering, reminding us that we are loved. Daily calls, even just for a moment. A phone hug.
High school classmates are corresponding, trying to do what they can to ease the grief. Neighbors stop when taking their walks, just to say hello. Church friends just drop in, stop in stores to hug and the phone just rings and rings.
Yes, this has been the toughest month of our lives. With the loss of Karen, we are desperately trying to begin to go about our daily lives. With the news of Paul's deployment, our hearts broke a little more. It just doesn't seem fair. Not now.
Joe and Joey will go and get Cat and Tate. We will huddle together as a family and get through the tough times together. We will hold them so close, grateful to be together, praying for Paul's quick and safe return.
Each one of us hurts badly right now and yet, we have this 12 year old little girl to nurture, who lost her Mom. How do you make that pain any better? So I pray, "Lord, please give me the strength to help this child."
If there is one thing I have learned, it is that most people are just plain kind and loving. I really tried hard to hide, behind closed curtains and grieve alone. It was not good and the wonderful people in our lives just made it impossible.
Whether it was Dara taking the day off work to take me to lunch, Jim popping in and going to church with us, my cousins' daily emails and calls, Kathi calling me to get out, Tony and Maria stopping by to hug, Carol and Valli calling with invitations, Bobbi's daily calls, Eric's calls to listen, Kaye's pop ins and hugs, Matt's ability to listen and console each day, Fr. Ben's strength and guidance, the tons of emails, instant messages every time the computer goes on.....the list goes on and on.
I just never realized how many wonderful people were in our life. In each of their kind actions, they give us strength.
