Gone

This morning a friend lost her fight with breast cancer. She was my age. We had a lot in common, but were very different people. She has 2 small children (2 1/2 and 1). She was supposed to start a new drug trial that showed great promise in helping her get back into remission. Now she's gone.

We were in the same small group for a couple years, but I haven't really talked with her much recently. We were both teachers and I used to sub in her class. We walked when Cory was small. We had a bit of a falling out. I never quite knew where I stood with her after that. Now I'll never know. Now she's gone.

I know where she is and I'm thankful that she is no longer in pain. For her, she is complete. Now, what do those left behind do? How do children grow up without a mommy. For they are so small they will never really know her. And she has been sick for much of their little lives.

We have a lot of grandparents that are sick right now. I went to the first funeral I'd been to in years when my great aunt passed away on New Year's Eve. For them, it's hard, but you know it's coming. This is the natural order of life. You get old and eventually you die. It's never easy, but that's just the way life is.

But someone my age. With a family. It's not the way it's supposed to be. Somehow it seems to leave a much bigger hole. She's gone. And yet the world keeps on turning. It doesn't seem right.