Death: a double edged sword.

Death, though sometimes the best option, is never welcome to those it leaves behind.

My grandmother lost her oldest brother this evening. He had been ill for quite some time, but to his family, it still felt like a thief stealing something precious. This was the third sibling my grandmother has lost in the past 3 1/2 years. I've been with her when she got the news for each of them. Her strength in these circumstances is admirable; I honestly do not know how she manages to keep going after receiving news like that.

I found out a few more branches of my family tree this evening in response to this loss. My grandma was one of 9, originally, but only grew up with six. Her eldest brother, Michael, died as an infant. Then came Ed (who just passed this evening) and Dodo (who passed a year ago). Next was Irene, Leroy (who died somewhere between ages 10 and 12 due to internal injuries), and Paul. Ronnie was the first of the series of three who passed in these recent years, and then it is my grandma and her youngest sister, Dawna. I was privileged enough to know the seven who survived into adulthood, but not well (with the exception of my grandma). My grandma is closest with her sisters and I'd have to guess that when Dodo died, she took it pretty hard.

I've been fortunate so far in life to not have to go through many losses of people I love, though there have been a few. It is always a sad event, even if you were not close, you were probably close to someone who was close to them. Death can be a relief to the person who dies, as we hope they are in a better place, but it can be absolutely devastating to those who are left with the hole. I do not envy my grandma in this time, and only know that it will be God alone who gets me through a time when I have a loss of my own.

My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones today, for I believe it has been a very large number. My prayers for you are that God will see you through this time, and that you will continue to see his faithfulness, even if it is not apparent at this awful moment. Amen.