Sunshine and Rain

It has been a very interesting 24 hours. As we all know, much of the United States has had to deal with some intense storms. Lots of rain as well as devastating tornadoes. We were not spared the rain in our area. We had plenty last night, in fact, a water rescue took place just 2 miles from here. There are so many low roadways.

As I was driving to a client's home this afternoon, I couldn't help but notice how perfectly blue the sky was. After the completely destructive storms, beautiful breathtaking sunshine beamed down upon the earth. Amazing! It makes me stop and remember how thankful I am for what I have. Last night during the rain, my family was safe and dry in our home. Today I was driving a car that runs well to a job that helps support my family. It puts things into perspective when I think about the families in the south who lost so much to the storms that went through their area. I am truly thankful we were protected.

Another thing I thought of today was how fragile life is. Last evening Emile and I were coming out of a store when we saw an old neighbor. We were talking about friends we know who have been sick with cancer. She told us that a very special friend, Charlie, had died this past Sunday. I was shocked. I knew he had lung cancer, and that he wasn't doing well, but I didn't realize how short his time was. As we talked, I remembered Emile was standing beside me. She loved Charlie. When I looked, she had tears running down her cheeks. I put my arms around her and just held her as she sobbed. I felt terrible. There's nothing worse than watching your child grieve. She cried for the next several hours, and again this afternoon. We talked about Charlie and I reminded her of how much he loved her and he knew she loved him as well.

And so, there you have it. Sunshine and rain, happiness and sadness, joy and sorrow. It's so hard to explain to your 13 year old why someone "nice" dies while "creeps" live on. I took the time with Emile to let her talk it out and she did share her feelings with me. She has a very tender heart at times. We've lost 3 special people since last July and I think she's becoming a bit overwhelmed with death right now. I will have to make sure she knows how much she is loved and that the sun will always shine after the storm.... even when the storms seem terribly hard to get through. Life will and does go on. We grieve and grow. She will always remember this special friend she learned to know. He will always have a special place in her heart. It's as it should be.