Rest in Peace

One of my classmates from high school passed away this morning after a hard fought battle with stage 4 cancer. It hit me harder than I expected. I closed my office door and cried. Really cried. I avoided all those around my office for a long time not wanting to make eye contact with anyone but grateful to have to go to a meeting and face the world again. I don't quite know why I feel this deep sadness. I think it's because I don't know how I would deal with losing Dustin like Jessica lost Mike.

To say Mike Carpenter or his wife Jessica were my friends is slightly inaccurate. I grew up with Mike and we stayed more as acquaintances over the years - I wouldn't say we were close by any means. I knew who they were, they knew who I was but I don't think I've spoken to either since high school. Nevertheless, they are both very sweet people and were/are very much in love with one another. You can just see it in their pictures on Facebook. They loved each other through thick and thin. To love and be loved in return, does it get any better than that?

I find it hard to think of the words I really want to write. What I want to get off my chest. It's hard to know that someone who was the same age as you, someone who's Mom worked with your Mom and they were pregnant at the same time, to think that person is gone from this world. I just can't get my head around it. It's a lost feeling. If I feel this lost I can't imagine what his wife must be feeling or the rest of his family. It just makes no sense to me why such horrible things happen to good people...

Why is a question I think we ask so much at times like this. Why did God take Mike? Why did God do this? I have always said (stolen from Mother Theresa) that God doesn't give us more than we can handle... but I wish he wouldn't trust us so much. God must be very trusting of the Carpenter family.

I am grateful to know that Mike is without pain. I am grateful that he no longer has cancer. I am grateful that now he can be free to fish, hike, run, and do anything he wants without the burdens of this world. I am thankful to know and believe that one day he will be reunited with his family and his beautiful wife.

I stole this from Sissy's Song by Allan Jackson...and changed the she to he

He flew up to Heaven on the wings of angels

By the clouds and stars and passed where no one sees

And He walks with Jesus and his loved ones waiting

And I know he's smiling saying

Don't worry 'bout me.