Late meaning it arrived in my mailbox on New Year's Eve, 2015. The card had a drawing of a cute Bunny on the front and I knew immediately the Christmas card was from my dear friend, Abby who loves bunnies. We had lost contact for a few years but she always sent me a card at Christmas.
I first met Abby through a mutual friend of ours who connected us because she felt that it would be good for us to know each other. You see, Abby and I have many common bonds. We are the same age, and size, we are both blondes, and other similarities. These commonalties that we share were not the reason that our mutual friend felt that she needed to connect us. Abby and I have both lost our teenage daughter's, and their deaths happed the same year.
Abby's daughter Suzanne, died in a car accident on her way home from college late one evening. My daughter, Nicki died from a malignant brain tumor that lingered for three years. Both Suzanne, and Nicki were nineteen years-old when they passed from this earth into the arms of a loving God. Abby's daughter had a sudden death, my daughter endured pain and suffering for three-years undergoing, chemotherapy, steroids, surgeries, and many hospital stays. Abby and I often talked about the issue of sudden death, or lingering death. We concluded that there is no better way to lose a loved one, especially a child...No easy way. How we die we is not a competition.
Losing a child is the worst tragedy of all.
So back to the Christmas card that Abby sent to me... In another letter she wrote that her husband, Bill had been diagnosed with cancer, and that it was terminal. I never got the chance to visit him to say goodbye before he died, but I thought about him, and Abby everyday.
When I opened Abby's Christmas card this year, I saw a photo of Abby, her son and her daughter in law, holding a baby, Abby's new grandson.
Smiles so big!
Inside the card was a small piece of paper, 4 1/2 X 2 1/2, it fit in the palm of my hand. On the front of the card was a subtle drawing of Jesus. With his right hand knocking on a door, His left had holding a rod. I turned the card over and there was a photo of William Carson Myers, Abby's husband. He had a big smile on his face, as the sun was setting in the background. Bill passed away on July 11, 2014.
We are all going to die at some time. What took my breath away was the bible verse that was inscribed below Bill's photo...
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past."
Isaiah 43:18
Look the verse up there you will find the meaning of life!
No comments:
Post a Comment