You Just Never Know

While I sat in the dentist office on Thursday waiting for Julia to get some teeth sealed, I made an amazingly long list of things I needed to get done in the next little while. We were out much of the day on Thursday doing errands (with a fun trip to the mall thrown in) so nothing got done on the list. My plan was to start it on Friday.

Early Friday morning my husband woke me up with bad news.

We are now at the age that we have friends who have grown children. Several years ago one of these friends son-in-law was coming into town (with the friends daughter and grandson) to visit. He was home from a tour in Iraq. Since my husband is retired Navy, the friend thought that my husband might have something in common with him. Mike talked to him and invited the (young) family over for dinner.

The son-in-law (I'll call him J) really seemed to latch on to Mike. He was estranged from his father and it felt to us that he was looking for that type of figure. We had a really nice evening with them and they stayed really, really late. Talking to J's wife (I'll call her L) was pretty much like talking to my oldest daughter. There is just a few years difference in their ages. Their little boy was all boy, but a delight. My daughters adored him. And L was just pregnant again.

They only stayed in town a few days and then were back to wherever they were stationed. J would call Mike from time to time and keep us up on their lives. They were back in town at some point later and we saw them briefly. I only remember that L was much bigger pregnant and just as sweet and precious as I'd remembered her.

J did more tours in Iraq over the years. Calling Mike occasionally when he could. He recently retired and moved his family to a neighboring town.

Yesterday morning Mike got an early morning call from a hysterical J. Seems that he'd found L dead in the wee hours of morning. Her family was out of town and he said that he had no one else to call.

Mike quickly dressed and went to the hospital and I was left with this surreal feeling for the day. My heart so heavy and sad. At this point, we have no idea why she died. And it just still doesn't feel real or right. She has two little kids to take care of. She was so incredibly full of youth and life. She had this natural beauty that made her glow.

She was only 26.

I wish I had hugged her for just a second longer the last time I saw her years ago. I wish I had some words of comfort for this grieving family.

I pray that this young man is able to step through his grief and be a shining example of a father to this motherless 6yo little boy and 3yo little girl.

So yesterday my list was put aside. I spent the day with my daughters. We watched TV together. We talked. We went for a coffee drink.

Because life is so short. And you just never know.