Saying Goodbye

I learned this afternoon that our neighbor Todd passed away yesterday. He fought cancer with everything he had for a year. It is so sad seeing such a great man die so young. Although there is no doubt in my mind that he is happy and taken care of today, he will be sorely missed. His wife is a good friend who has helped me and those around her grow as they've been through this ordeal. There are so many ways people can react to loss such as this, and she is strong. Their kids are young. Their youngest will be in Emma's kindergarten class this year, and their oldest is almost twelve. They also have a nine-year-old.

As I write, I find myself just wanting to do something. I'd go scrub toilets or cook them a month worth of meals, but I know that those things aren't quite what they need. All along I've wanted to do something more. I know that the upcoming days, weeks, months, and years are going to be tough. There are going to be a lot of days when she will need a friend. I suppose my prayer is that I will be prompted to be there when I'm needed. It's so easy to see a need now, and I hear that those needs often appear to fade, appear being the key word.

My heart breaks to see this little family's loss. I know they're strong, but even the strongest feel overwhelmed quite often. Steph, if you ever happen across this post, I love you. You are an incredible example. Todd is okay; the rest of us will always miss him.