Never easy

 Cemetery ~ Austin, Nevada

Dear Laurel,

   Two funerals this week--they were very different even though they were much the same. One for a woman of advanced age, the other for a woman who seemingly should have had decades still ahead of her.  Both had vibrant faith in God, both made a significant difference in the lives of others, both were dearly loved.  The grief for the first tempered by the experience of long life, the grief for the other like a jagged tear through the fabric of the lives around her.  Sad and exhausting. It is never easy, but heaven seems close.

All my best,
Kate

Good bye for now

Dear Laurel,

Isn't good bye the hardest thing we ever say, and isn't that the time so many pull away?  Day before yesterday my eldest went to a hospice facility to be with her friend Karen while Karen's mother was in her final hours here.  I am so proud of her for intentionally stepping into that hard place, for being present with her friend, and for putting her hands on that mom and saying, "Good bye for now."  The promise of heaven is so sure and so sweet, and the courageous love of a friend is beautiful.

All my best,

Kate