Saturday, March 15, 2008

Tenuous Strand

"Life is a series of meetings and partings." ~~ Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
My words lie deep these days, not making themselves available as anything more than feelings, deep thoughts, emotions.

My mother and grandmother always said that death comes in threes. I'm not a superstitious person, yet I have often found this to be the case with death. Why it is, I do not know. 

Three deaths this past week. One. Two. Three. Like blows to people we love. Shocking. The blush of pulsing blood in cheeks one day and a week later the body is still, the heart beats no more, the lungs no longer lift for air. Spirit flies away.

In addition to the passings of this week, one son suffered the pain of kidney stones out of the blue. So hard to know that he is enduring such pain. Relieved to know the cause of the pain.

Next day, our eldest son calls from another city. Car wreck on the freeway, not his fault, could have killed him. The careless RV driver who ran him off the road kept speeding down the busy thoroughfare, leaving my son to pay all the damages. Insurance companies are cynical.

Thank you, God, that the boys are alive, that they can laugh.

Thank you, God, for good memories of the ones who left Earth this week.

A tenuous strand it is that holds us here together, walking the timeline in unison...for now.


12 comments:

cecily said...

Cherie, hugs to you.

tshsmom said...

Even though we know where the spirits of our loved ones fly to when they leave the shell of their bodies, it's hard to deal with the hole they've left in our lives.

I wish I was there to give you a hug and share the precious memories of your loved ones.

I, too, believe that death comes in threes. There's just too much evidence to deny it. I often wonder why this happens, but I guess it's just another of God's mysteries.

I'm certain that Ben is still here as a result of the defensive driving skills you and Tom taught him.

Sandy said...

Cherie, I'm sorry about the death in your family. There's nothing like these trials that make us appreciate one another and the life we have no matter how uneasy it may be. I'm really glad the kids are okay.

Marianne Elixir said...

Cherie,
So sorry to hear of the losses, but so glad to hear your boys were not among them. Thinking and praying for you and yours.

Cherie said...

Cecily, thank you. Your good heart lightens my load all the way over here. :)

Tshs:You are right that it's the absence that takes awhile to heal. Thanks to you, too, for the virtual hugs. Means a lot. I don't know if Ben's quick reflexes are from our lessons to him or just his God-given reflexes and years of driving experience, but I'm sure glad they were working the other day. ;)

How right you are, Sandy, that trials like these only illuminate our appreciation for one another. Thanks for sharing my joy that the boys are alive and healthy. :)

M.E., thanks for your care and concern, and the prayers. As I told Cecily, they mean a whole lot.

You women are powerful conveyors of warmth and care. Thank you so much!

liz crumlish said...

Cherie,
Big hugs from Scotland too. May this Holy Week begin to heal your sorrows and confirm your joys.
xxx

Cherie said...

Thanks, Liz. The Resurrection is the Hope we have in times like these. Confirm my joys - yes! Thanks again, sis.

deanna said...

A hug from me as well, and sorrow and thankfulness for you. And resurrection blessings this week.

IndianaJones said...

Being that I'm still grieving and trying to come to terms with death's first brush in my life I hope you are wrong for another death right now would certainly make me #3.
We will pray for peace for your family and to echo...thank God your boys are safe.

Cherie said...

You know, Summer, when I had my first brush with death it was my beloved grandma, too. I couldn't believe she was gone.....felt so bad all over. I was about 11 or 12. Mercifully God sent only one death to me at that time. Maybe it's the mercy of the first one, so I was spared the trio of death I've known since.

That's hopefully the case with you. And hopefully, too, it'll be a looooong time before you have to deal with the pain of such grief again. I know hard - and weird - it is.

Thanks for your comforting words and your echos for my boys.

Gardenia said...

Beautiful words....thankful with you that your boys are ok.

Cherie said...

Again, thanks Gardenia. Thanks so much.