Last week was abnormally stressful to the body and soul. No one is tip-toeing around the ugly part of a beautiful life coming to an end this past week. This particular Saturday morning, a friend's husband had been suffering too much to confront another day. A beautiful life came to an abrupt end that morning. But, his two sons and his widow are forced to keep going; they do so with incredible dignity and strength. In spite of their loss, those boys will be stronger than ever. They will struggle, but they will triumph. Sometimes, intimately experiencing the dark side of life can be the strongest deterrent of all. Those left-behind "victims" can end up to be the most diligent champions for the sanctity of life.
During this week, I also took a good look at my family and saw their strength, their devotion and their remarkable endurance. It is healing and deeply moving. A time such as this can bring out the worst in so many people; it can bring out tremendous anger, frustration and judgment, but our family demonstrated all of the opposite. Everyone came together like a band of warriors that used love, kindness and dedication as their weapons against tragic loss.
Long ago I discovered that friendship is truly an investment. The investment is yourself. Some people never make even the tiniest of investments, they live afraid of emotion, Then, there are others who give all they have to give; their emotional well never runs dry. When a friend finds great happiness, you smile both on the inside and on the outside for them and with them. It doesn't matter what is going on in your own life, you are able to celebrate your friend's joy. But, when that same friend is suffering, you stand alongside them and help carry their burden...in whatever way you can. Maybe you have done your part to help carry a loved one through a storm; perhaps you have gone through tough times and have been the one swept up and carried during your time of need. A life well-lived is one who has experienced plenty of the two...of carrying others in times of strength and of being carried in times of weakness. Each side gives great wisdom. Fair-weathered friends are a joy, but the other kind...the kind that remain steadfast and rally as the grey sky approaches...those are true friends. Finally, when dark winds start blowing...true friends do not shy from the storm. They keep moving in a united direction, undaunted by their bitter task.
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