Why?

I don't tend to dwell on why things happened, but more on what happened around whatever happened.

There is no way to justify someone getting sick, dying, hurt or losing a loved one. One could go crazy trying to back track, assign blame to individuals, challenge God, fate, Karma, etc.

But what I always marvel at is the the actions and activities surrounding crisis. There are a dozen miracles and graces that appear with every tragedy or incident.

Examples:

Curtis - we all miss him, Karen especially. She was with him as soon as she could, he got his blessing, we all came together, and Karen taught us grace, friendship and strength at the tenderest point in time. It also reminded us to be constantly kind (as he was) to our co-workers and friends - as we don't know when it will be our time to go.

Ray - I'm sorry he's gone - I wish I'd known him better. He died the day I began my camino, the hospitalerios in Granon took me in, I met some exceptional poeple that day, and I was still able to attend his memorial when I returned. I heard the entire town talking about how kind he was and how many lives he'd touched. I met family I'd never met before.

Louise - I did not feel well on Thursday night and still not very well on Friday. I chose to stay home. Had I been at work when she took ill, I would have been in a customer meeting that would have been difficult to extract myself from. I don't believe, being as close to her as I am, that I would have been sane waiting or going with her in the ambulance. Blaine and Matthew found her, without reason to be where she was. Blaine went in the ambulance, Matthew took her phone and called me and then came and got me. By being home, I was two miles from the hospital. A series of calls ensued to make sure everyone that needed to know was contacted. Soon her room was filled with all of us. The hospital let us all stay. We think the worst is over, but the gift of this incident.... she knows she's very loved and I know if my turn comes around - I won't be alone either.

So many graces come to us, not from the sadness or pain we inevitibly encounter, but from what we take from it.