Life, compressed

It is said in a credit card commercial that life comes at you fast. I will reply…No kidding.

This writer has experienced in a couple weeks that has encompassed almost all the highs and lows that life can offer, in a miniscule amount of time. First weekend saw the wedding of a nephew and his bride, a man whose actual survival in life has been little short of a miracle, and a bride whose arrival may have actually been heaven-sent. Fast forward to the next weekend, which saw the birth of this writer’s first grandchild, occasioned by an unplanned, emergency, premature C-section delivery that actually threatened the mother’s life. Fast forward to the next weekend, which saw this writer at a long vigil at his mother’s bedside, culminating in her passing away.

That is, in fact, a lot. This, no one will challenge.

But still, lest I be labelled an old curmudgeon, there is much to be grateful for. I was thrilled to attend our nephew’s wedding; we have of course known him since birth, and his bride since our intro, and rejoice in the celebration of the future for the couple, and for their future. There is much to celebrate and anticipate.

Likewise, there are no words sufficient to describe the joy of our grandson’s birth. His arrival was marked by drama and fear, but faith and hope prevailed, much as it did the weekend before. Words are insufficient, again, to describe the range of emotions involved.

Finally, to my mother’s passing the subsequent weekend. As Life goes, it was a pretty peaceful event; knowing the circumstances, all the plans had been made, minus the actual dates involved, and I am grateful that it was so. There was no pain, no disappointment, no renegade family members, no messy ends to tie up.

And so I realize how fortunate we really are. Life can throw you a curve at any time, and our mission is to respond to it with strength, dignity, and grace. We cannot dictate the future, but I hope to influence it to a world where these values are still appreciated. This post is of course non-political; I do hope it will resonate with anyone who truly hopes to make things better than they are.