Thursday, October 19, 2006

We Should Get Together...

I've been speaking with a gentleman in Houston about coming to do a booksigning at Barnes and Noble sometime soon. I've never read his book but am in love with it's title, The Unwanted Gift of Grief. Those who have grieved can say "Amen" to the Unwanted part, but the Gift is what makes us raise an eyebrow.

But grief is a gift. After Kyle's death I was given the gift of being conscious in a way I had never known. Part of that consciousness led to the realization that all of our tasks and chores, while necessary to move through this world, are really just meant to be the vehicle that allows us to do the real important things like breathe and laugh and contemplate the mysteries of grace God brings us by just being together.

This morning I woke up later than normal, but still early by most people's standards, and rejoiced at the cool weather that has come our way. I came to check email and received a call on Skype from my friend Tim in Germany. I haven't spoken with him in months and can't tell you how happy it made me to catch up.

Last night I received a MySpace friend request from one of my favorite people in the world, Melissa Herring. Many of you know Tony and Melissa as my "Christmas Eve Friends." I hate it that we don't keep in touch more, but am always blessed by any contact I have with them. And I NEVER say the word "blessed," so I hope you understand how much I really mean that. It is a gift from God, this friendship. Check out her page. The pictures of the Herring family are beautiful, just as they are beautiful in every way.

I think the greatest gift Kyle's death brought was the gift of people seeing how necessary it is to get together. I've noticed over the past few months that everyone seems to be scattered. Let's not do that anymore. Let's make a more concerted effort to see what is important. Let us not make it to the next death (how morbid does that sound, but it will happen) and say that we should have gotten together sooner.

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