Unexpected passings
There is a line that I spoke as Sir Thomas More in a 1986 production of A Man For All Seasons that went something like this:
Death comes for us all, my Lord...even for kings.
We know it's coming and we know it's coming for everyone around us. But when it comes unexpectedly, with no warning or reason, I can't imagine how I would react or cope. Normally, I don't think much about these things. If something is meant to happen; it will. I'll figure it out then. However, swift and unexpected passings have been on my mind and heart the last few weeks.
Wendy lost her husband, suddenly and without warning, last week. He was killed instantly in a snowmobiling accident. Her friend Kristal asked if I would paint him, as she desperately wanted to do something that had meaning. Kristal brought Wendy to the studio last night. It was important to her that Wendy see it first and in person.
I turned the painting around and Wendy just grabbed Kristal and wept.
"He's beautiful," she said through her tears.
One week ago, it was a normal day in the life of Wendy and her family. The next day, Monday, everything changed on a dime.
"Love the ones you're with every day, with everything you've got," said Wendy. "You never know when you might lose them." tweet this
Wendy, her two kids, family and friends are struggling through unparalleled loss and grief. Like watching Julio, Christine and Katrina the week previous coming to terms with the loss of their son and brother, I saw similar strength, resilience and honesty in Wendy. The worst brings out the best in us, though I'm imagining it feels anything but in the moments of utter despair.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Wendy, her children, family and friends as they go through these difficult and unimaginable days.
Death comes for us all, my Lord...even for kings.
We know it's coming and we know it's coming for everyone around us. But when it comes unexpectedly, with no warning or reason, I can't imagine how I would react or cope. Normally, I don't think much about these things. If something is meant to happen; it will. I'll figure it out then. However, swift and unexpected passings have been on my mind and heart the last few weeks.
Wendy lost her husband, suddenly and without warning, last week. He was killed instantly in a snowmobiling accident. Her friend Kristal asked if I would paint him, as she desperately wanted to do something that had meaning. Kristal brought Wendy to the studio last night. It was important to her that Wendy see it first and in person.
I turned the painting around and Wendy just grabbed Kristal and wept.
"He's beautiful," she said through her tears.
One week ago, it was a normal day in the life of Wendy and her family. The next day, Monday, everything changed on a dime.
"Love the ones you're with every day, with everything you've got," said Wendy. "You never know when you might lose them." tweet this
Wendy, her two kids, family and friends are struggling through unparalleled loss and grief. Like watching Julio, Christine and Katrina the week previous coming to terms with the loss of their son and brother, I saw similar strength, resilience and honesty in Wendy. The worst brings out the best in us, though I'm imagining it feels anything but in the moments of utter despair.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Wendy, her children, family and friends as they go through these difficult and unimaginable days.
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