Obits

I guess it is normal that as we age we tend to give special attention to the Obituary page in the local paper. I have been very surprised lately that almost every week there is a picture and name there of someone I knew quite well. And then occasionally it hits really close to home like this week when a friend's dad passed away very suddenly. Each time, it makes me 'sit up' and take notice that these people are mostly older than me, but not by that much. I have had several friends younger than me die of cancer in the last few years, and even as a kid I had friends die. Death is always near. Each occasion is an opportunity for several things. It is a wake-up call regarding our own mortality which draws a little closer with each passing day. But it is also a time when we can show love and support to those who lost a loved one. Death is not final, but it sometimes feels that way. Everyone handles it differently, but one thing we all hold in common is the sense of loss, which gradually gives way to adjusting to the new reality. What better way to do that than to be surrounded by friends. Today we will be supporting our friends Bill and Ella. I feel empathy as I too have lost a parent, as have all our current group of friends. Even though it is inevitable, it is not easy, no matter how you prepare yourself. But we are all people of faith, and that makes all the difference.