Bittersweet

Facebook is definitely a blessing living so far away from the life that I knew, and I've been able to keep up with so many life events of friends from around the world. And while most posts are usually cheerful, there are some which make you cry. And there isn't a whole lot you can do about it but cry and look for comfort from a very faithful Friend.

Since I've lived in China, I've mourned the deaths of several people who were too far away to say goodbye to. One includes an incredible Chilean woman who died about a year ago from the side effects of chemo therapy. And the most recent is a childhood friend of mine who I always liked. She was the type of person in our early adult years that I would run into at various shops around the city we grew up in and stand and talk and catch up while the rest of the world went about its business. Meanwhile, we were probably running late for something somewhere. As children, we played softball together. As classmates, we talked. And though we were never best friends, I knew she was a real friend, and I am grateful for the friendship we shared.

When these things happen, it seems natural to want to be there, to once again touch the memory of a life that was a part of your life, to verify that it is really true that they are gone, and to help comfort those whose hearts hurt so much more than your own. I am thankful that I have a Father whose arms are long and who can comfort so much more than I ever could.