I got the call this morning; 6:38 am; and quite frankly, I was not expecting to hear what I heard. I was half-sleep, eight minutes earlier, I had just hit the snooze alarm. As I lay there somewhere between awake and not so awake, I was at peace. Only the ringing of my phone pierced the tranquility. I rolled over, morning voice in full effect to say my “hello.” I couldn’t have known that what I would hear was a report of a “good bye.”

It was sad news. I was shocked. My friend that had been in the hospital had said his last “good bye.” I won’t go into the details because they are not necessary. What I will say is this, he was a good man who always treated others well. He was a people person and into the details regarding every single thing. He was more than just a casual friend, he called me his daughter-in-law, even though his son and I never married. He loved me and I loved him. Still do.

I’m going to miss him. My heart has taken a hit today. My lips don’t find words. My eyes don’t find dry places. I’m sure that all of his friends feel this way today. I cannot imagine the grief that hovers over his family right now. My mind just cannot comprehend. He was doing so well…this ending was not expected. I’m calling on God to help me and I’m calling on God to help his family. I was driving to the office when grief hit me hard this morning, but He kept me. As I write this, He’s keeping me. His ways are not our ways but one thing I know, God does not make any mistakes. So, I am asking you to once more join with me in prayer for this family.