The 19th was the anniversary of my sister’s death.  I was surprised, though I probably shouldn’t have been, how sad and quiet I woke up and spent the day.  I’m still feeling quiet, perhaps because she was buried a week later (26th) due to the delay of time slots in the church and funeral home.  Last year I wrote this.  Thought I’d repeat it since I know this year others are going through it, or remember too.

“It’s amazing how when someone close suddenly dies you don’t care about politics, hot button issues, or even the routines of life.  There are no to-do lists, no should or musts to consider.  There are no pet projects worth the time of day or topics worthy of discussion.  Time stops.  At the same time, it drags on.  You understand deep in your bones that one day can indeed be a thousand years and a thousand years one day.  There is nothing to do but put one foot in front of the other and put your heart in God’s hands as you go.  In this life, there are no answers; only unanswerable questions.  This is true whether someone dear suddenly dies, or not.

The day after we buried my sister I went for a walk in the neighborhood of our youth.  It was a picture-perfect day.  Clear, crisp, colorful.  The geese were migrating.  Phone in hand I began to snap pictures of places the three of us played together and attempted to capture a video the migrating geese.  I couldn’t help but think we are all migrating.  We are all on a journey to our eventual home.  We need to be grateful for all life; celebrate it, cherish it, and protect it because God loved it all into existence, put it under our care, and promises to re-create it in glory when Christ comes again.  Blessed be the Lord, our God of all.”

The cover on this post is the stream where we took our dog and played.