So much life around!!

Wow this has been a terrible week..... My last post mentioned a friend who died from complications from surgery. Well since Sunday night our small rural community has lost 3 wonderful people...all too soon and all suddenly. Our former school secretary had a massive heart attack while walking the beach in Florida and early this morning another dear friend died from a massive stroke after a seemingly successful surgery. It has been tough to come to terms with it all. Last night I was majorly bummed. I knew Alice had irreversible damage and her family was by her side. I thought""Enough already!" Enough sadness and death. And although I know death is not something to be feared, it is still hard on the families and friends who are not expecting it. I woke up this morning feeling like I got punched it the stomach.. I kept asking" Why so much death now??" I took my usual walk out along the field. It was not long before the answer became apparent to me. Yes , there has been alot of death this week, but as I walked along, listening to the birds chirp, watching the turtles sun themselves on the log in the swamp, seeing my dog Emma chase a chipmunk, noticing the new tiny beginnings of corn popping up in the dirt rows and thinking of my beautiful little girl asleep in her bed with her awesome big brother in the next room, I realized that there is so much more life around then death. The problem is we don't always take the time to notice the things that are right there in front of us. God's beauty and light fills our lives every single day..it's there and although death often takes our breath away, so too should the life all around us. Goodbye Robert, Donna and Alice...I know you are all in a better place. I will miss you all but I will try to remember to notice, not only the death but LIFE. Thank you for this gift!