RURAL REFLECTIONS: Praying man

Friends. Family. Do you know how important you are in our everyday lives, in our struggles, in our need? You are a gift, you know.

Strangers. Do you know how important they are in our daily lives? We learn by watching them. We can greet one another in passing, smile at one another and make the world a bit better by word or by glance, recognizing a stranger.

The sadness of losing my daughter is a thick forest I weave my way through not knowing where I am going, only knowing where I have been. When strength is called for, I do what my parents did. I pull myself up and help those who need me. Then I step back into the trees and hope to find a clearing soon. Once there I can mourn.

A dear family friend sat with me over coffee at a nearby restaurant. We talked and my load was lightened. However, as with grandmas, I couldn't stop looking at the two babies with their parents in the booth behind us. We chatted back and forth about baby things. And again, the trees thinned for a bit.

On impulse I mentioned to the parents that they need to appreciate every moment with these tiny ones. Yep, it happened. Tears. Vulnerability. Pain. My friend told them that my daughter had passed. The one father took my hand and said, "Can I pray with you?"

This man built like a football player took my hands and prayed. I'm not sure I was aware of all the words, but the comfort of his hands and his soothing voice was a light in my darkness. He took me into his arms and held me, this giant of a man. He was a stranger. He was a gift.

Strangers. Do you know how important they are in our daily lives? Do you know what can be if we just notice and care? We live in a world that mourns at different times, in different ways. Sometimes a hand on an arm, a hug, a look into the eyes of another are all it takes. For we, too, are strangers.

The world should be full of the kind of love I received. Thank you, praying man.