Hey Sweet Friends. Happy Friday Follies!
I appreciate all your comments from last week. I love to hear your thoughts, and I always like to know what you would like to discuss, especially every Friday. I hope you’re staying healthy and happy and doing exceedingly well.
This week, I want to talk to you about how important it is to stay involved and close to the people you care about. We never know when they won’t be with us. Last Friday, I lost my wonderful and very special nephew Wayne Jr. I called him “Superman.” He was such a positive person and a great example. He was tall, smart, tough, and handsome, and way too young to die – 70.
He went into the hospital for a heart procedure. We had all prayed and assumed he would survive it because he had survived so many things before. And also, he was at the most acclaimed hospital for what he was to have done. In the last year, we talked very often. I was not prepared for bad news, so when Camille told me he died, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn’t stand the thought of him being gone. I cried all night, and the sleeplessness and sadness just punctuated the severe loss. I was in shock. I hadn’t even considered he wouldn’t survive. The last words he said to me were “I love you,” and I said “I love you more.” And I reminded him that we’d prayed the prayer of agreement Matthew 18:19 and had asked and believed he would survive this just fine and told him not to doubt but believe our prayers would be answered.
As I’ve reflected on his life and our many conversations, I’ve wondered if I could have been a better aunt, a better friend, and as good of an example to him as he was to me. It’s just a reminder that we need to be present and engaged with everyone we love. Our future and life’s timing are not always respectful of our desires. Grief is such a thief, a cruel teacher about taking the biggest blessings in life for granted – our survival and the existence of our relatives we love so much. Please take care of yourselves. Don’t take your blessings for granted, and don’t take your loved ones for granted. Love on purpose and show it. Think ahead and imagine different scenarios and possibilities. Everyone needs a heart hug from time to time. Thank you all for your friendship. You mean the world to me.
Love,
Donna
