Painfully Aware

Lately, I have been made painfully aware of others' losses and hardships. It is always heartbreaking to hear of anyone facing tragedy or loss. I am moved to tears many times when even thinking of what they must have gone through or are currently experiencing. There are two that I would like to pass on to you in hopes you will be thinking about and praying for them and/or their families.

Sitting at a party Saturday afternoon, one of the girls in our circle got a call. She left the room. When she re-entered, she was in tears. Of course, we all asked what had happened and if there was anything we could do. She related the tragedy of which she had been made aware. A son of her co-worker had been serving in Iraq. She had just gotten the news that he had lost his life. This is tragic within itself, but only more so by the fact that he was married, and his wife is expecting their third child. Not only did a mother lose her son, but a wife lost a husband and children lost a father.

A second such life - altering tragedy is one related to me yesterday by a family member. A friend of his had been having neck & back pain and was encouraged to see a chiropractor. Never having used such a specialist before, he thought he would try. After seeing the chiropractor (and while still in the office) he began to get very sick. He knew something was wrong, but was shocked when he and his family found that he was actually having a stroke. He was rushed to the hospital where they could do very little for him aside from transferring him to a different hospital. The family was later informed that both main arteries leading to his brain had been severed and he was given a 10% chance of life. This was not an older gentleman but a 26 year old young man with a wife and 2 children ages 2 yrs and 4 yrs. He is holding on to life and is relatively non-communicative. His wife played a video of his children for him yesterday and he did shed tears, so there is the proof that he can see and hear what is going on around him.

I realize that there are countless people who have stared loss, disease, death, etc. straight into its face and are sirvivors. Many have begun organizations of their own to help others facing life-situations or battles similar to those they have faced. I am sorry to say I am not aware of many of them, personally, but I can pass on two organizations I have been made aware of lately:

www.caringbridge.org and www.hadrianswalk.org

There are many, many, many more such sites. And many heart-ripping stories like these. I hope that, if we cannot do anything more than lift thoughts & prayers for these families that we will do so and share their stories with others. Some of you that I DO know personally have faced your own adversity. I can say to you, you have inspired me or spoken to the depth of my soul, and, at times, spurred me on. (Don't judge the sentence-ending preposition!) I want to say thank you to each of you - many of you know who you are, and if you don't, I pray time will allow me to one day let you know.