Little Things

I have an inspirational email that I receive daily. It is religion based but very nondenominational and the topics very from the very serious to simply inspirational or just a joke with a point to make. The author of this email will periodically state that 'someone out there needs to read this today' and he will send something that he may have written or received months ago, but he was moved to send it out on one specific day. Because someone would need to read those words at that time.

As I had a card that was written, stamped and addressed sitting in my 'outgoing mail' spot for over a week (I just wanted to toss in a gift card before I mailed it), I berated myself for not getting that gift card sooner and delaying the mailing of this card. As I thought those thoughts, the words of the pastor who writes this inspirational email came to me and I thought that this card would be received 'on the day my friend needed it the most' ...

We were out when my friend called yesterday morning but she left a cheery message to thank me for the card that she had just received that day. This family has a lot of very serious health issues that they are dealing with and one of them was an uncle ... who passed away yesterday afternoon.

As I heard the news, I couldn't help but think of the turmoil that this family will be facing in the immediate future. There is so much that happens so fast when there is a death. Too much. I can remember simply feeling angry that so much is required so soon after such a tragedy when my dad died. Perhaps it helps to have that as a distraction, but my first experience with loss made me a different side to it. When I had neglected to send a sympathy card off to my aunt in a timely fashion, Mom told me to send it late. She said it was even better to send it later because there is just too much to absorb in the early days of loss.

I couldn't help think of this card that my friend received yesterday morning. Just before their world turned upside down. I can't help but feel 'she received it when she needed it the most' ...