Right now I'm just completely overwhelmed at the juxtaposition of life and death; this family, mourning the loss of their precious son, a fact I am reminded of 1,000 times a day with every moment I get to spend with my children, and with every new memory we are lucky enough to create. Now that I'm a parent, the thought of losing a child takes my breath away. The possibility alone stings my heart. I cannot fathom anything more painful, and I'm left feeling helpless and unsure of how we can support their family in this time of tremendous grief. I find that I'm putting myself in their position multiple times throughout the day, asking, "What would I want from friends & family? How would I want to be comforted?" And so, I've made them a loaf of homemade bread, which will be hand delivered by Dan this afternoon. He'll go to their house to sit with them, to perhaps cry with them, to just be with them. That's the thing about grief- it strips us down to the fragile, vulnerable core, and bonds humans together in a way unlike any other. All we can do now is pray, and let our flood gates of love open wide. I know they'll be taking baby steps towards finding peace. As for today, I just pray for an ample dose of hope.
"Earth hath no sorrow that heaven cannot heal."
-Thomas Moore
There is a movie called "Lars and the Real Girl" that I really liked a lot but not everyone does. And it's not about grief in the way your friend is experiencing right now. But there is a very moving scene in which a character in the movie dies, and everyone in the town grieves with Lars, who feels the loss the most, by "sitting." They just go to his house and sit. And that kind of support and love is probably the most important kind during this difficult mourning period, the kind that makes small communities seem attractive as life's tragedies inevitably touch us. I think you and Dan are being exactly what this grieving family needs.
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