A sad month in 2009

In the last few weeks, I've lost an uncle and an aunt.

My Uncle Ledford was in his late 80's. In 1941 he was in the Navy, his ship happened to be "dry docked" at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, for repairs when the Japanese began bombing. I've always thought that he was a very courageous man for pulling fellow soldiers out of the firey waters of the harbor. Though I didn't know him well, he lived in Washington State after the war, I think of him often and know that he is greatly missed by his family.

My Aunt Retha just turned 80 last year. She seemed in good health until one day she had a pain in her side and was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The doctors and specialists did all they could do with treatments but, just a few months following the diagnosis, she passed away.

It's been a sad several weeks for my mom. She is the youngest of 11 children, and with these losses there are only 4 surviving.

If that wasn't enough to think about, this last week we had two members of our church pass also. One, a man in his late 40's, early 50's (?) fell from a 6' ladder and hit his head. He had such severe brain damage that he could not survive. He left a widow and children still at home. The other was a younger man that had only attened a few months, and though I didn't have the opportunity to get to know him, it still affects us all.

It makes you wonder why life gets cut so short for some folks, and others get a life full of adventure, excitement, love, loss, blessings, stress, and fun. We probably won't ever know the answer to that question, though I know many people ask and ponder it daily. I do know that through faith in God we can all make it through this life, and that HE will carry us when we think we can not walk another step. All we have to do is ask.