Bouncing Back

Putting things into perspective...isn't that what you try to do when you have gone through something...try to put it into perspective...compare it to others?

The daughter of the my parents' next door neighbor, Linda, is the same age as my younger sister.  Her mother, Sandy, was a very sweet woman.  She died of cancer quite a few years ago, not too long after Linda was married.  Linda's father, Ron, has lived by himself for quite a few years now.  He is slowly sinking into Alzheimer's and has gone blind in one eye.  Linda lives about a 45 minute drive away from her father but has been making many trips back and forth to check on him and take care of him.  Linda has one child...a teenage son.  He is in his late teens.  Linda has just gone through a divorce and is still settling things with that...trying to take care of her father and will soon have to put him in a home and sell his house.  She has no one. She is an only child and has no relatives to speak of.  My parents help her out with Ron as much as they can but my parents are not in the greatest of health either. 

How do you deal with all of that...when you have no one?

And I found out today some very heart breaking news.  There is a guy that I graduated from HS with whose family lived in my neighborhood when he was younger.  I know them all pretty well.  He has 3 older sisters.  I know Sandy and Barb but I can't remember the one blond sister's name..I just remember what she looks like.  His family is all very good Christian people.  Sandy was a school teacher for a long time.  Bill was a school principal but recently retired.  He is in a gospel singing group that tours now. 

This morning I found out something unbelievably tragic happened within Sandy's family.  I know she had battled cancer a while back and seems to have beat it.  This morning I found out that her son, of 39 years of age, was at their house and got into an argument with his father/Sandy's husband (66) and the son grabbed a gun and shot his father in the chest, instantly killing him.  Sandy lost her husband and her son in one quick motion. 

How do you bounce back from that? 

The worst thing I really have to worry about is being able to keep things together HERE for my kids until they can get on their own two feet.  I am not sure when that is going to be but I just need a job to do that.  I have family and church support. 

I know Sandy has that but it is still going to be so very devastating.  Her world has changed in the most violent way possible.  She was always so upbeat and positive, no matter what.  Satan swooped in and did his worst. 

As for Linda...she doesn't have a church family or any family.  She is really feeling alone.  I know that I should reach out to her and let her know that she ISN'T alone.    I have my family and they were my saving grace.  My church 'family' was silent.  I know they may not have known what to say to me or how to deal with it but I learned one thing...at least send a card and let that person KNOW that you are out there and praying for them.  I got silence. 

My prayers go out for both of these women. 

Bouncing back for me is so much easier.  It doesn't feel easy but in comparison to both of them, it isn't such a steep grade to climb.