DAY 36: In Loving Memory

DAY 36: St. Stephen's Church, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

Today, I went to my church, St. Stephen's Church, to honor one of our great parishioners, Sarah Tison. I knew her daughter, Kate quite well. We were dear friends. She is a loving and sweet woman. She now has three kids of her own that I have never met. I remember her wedding, also at St. Stephens. She was a beautiful bride. I remember her father's funeral, also at St. Stephen's. He was a charismatic and funny man who I loved. I worked with her brother, Joe. They called him Joby. He was funny and cute. I was there when he met the women he eventually married. She was there today, pregnant and ripe. They already have one baby. All of them are grown-ups now.

But the Tison children, although grown-ups, are orphans now. I don't know if one can ever get over being an orphan. I bet it hurts to lose one parent terribly, especially tragically early. I imagine it's horrid when you lose that second one and realize you are alone. Children are not supposed to lose their parents when they are so young. It is not fair. My only consolation is imagining the happy reunion of Joe and Sarah Tison in heaven this last week, as they embraced, touching for the first time in years...

God bless you!