For all who have lost someone....

I just finished reading The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. 

It was one of the best books I have ever read about the aftermath of dealing with loss - now this woman had a double whammy, the illness of daughter and death of husband, both within a week, to contend with but she addresses that in the book; it doesn't matter the degree, loss is loss.

She captures that feeling of losing one's sense of balance.  The fog that descends and the automation that assumes control....

In my last blog I mentioned a friend whose husband had died. I did indeed travel to Winnipeg for the celebration of his life. Yesterday, my friend and I spoke on the phone for a long time. Something she said stuck with me, and it's been going around and around since we spoke. She said she has never felt any pain like this before, and doesn't know where to go with it. Everything seems empty, flat and gray. She can't process (her word) unexpected things, or make decisions without stress.

Tomorrow I will go to the funeral of a mother and daughter. I will be one of many mourning a tragedy in our community.

The daughter, so young, so full of youthful aspirations, will always remain an enigma. I will never know who she would have become, but through her mother I witnessed the belief that she was, would always be, a shining light. I can envision what that young woman could have been. The loss is great.

Hi All:

Sometime before Christmas I responded to a post made by Jennybeam who claimed that we had chased Serena away telling her that the claim was false and that Serena was dealing with a personal crisis.

I have been communicating with Serena on and off since then.

This evening I recieved another Wondermail from her and she has asked that I share some information with you.

The personal crisis involved a very sudden illness in her father which lead to a coma and then shortly after that to his death.