Hardest post in some time..

Today, this post is hard to create

as a dear friend prepares to bury her own baby girl.

Her daughter who was born between two other girls.

Her daughter who was one of my own baby girls

first friends when we moved here to Thibodaux.

Another child lost to us because of the devil best

known as mental illness/drug addiction.

I will give no more details because of privacy

but her mother and I have crossed paths many times

and each time it was in one of those "Aha" moments.

She, like me, has been vocal about the struggles of addiction

but now is not the time to stand on the soap box

but time to say, we may have lost her to this Earth,

but as always, God and Heaven has won in the end

as I have no doubt her precious daughter is standing

on the side of God at this moment.

Still, what do I say to my friend?

What do I say to a mother who is grieving so much

that her only words via text to me were,

"My beautiful L. is at peace now"

I can only post the one thing that I may have posted

before from SIMPLE ABUNDANCE

BY SARAH BAN BREATHNACH

the words that bring me comfort still when I read them.

Words that I have shared with other parent, other

friends who have lost loved ones:

IF WE ARE ALIVE, WE CANNOT ESCAPE LOSS.

LOSS IS PART OF REAL LIFE.

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT, WHEN SOMETHING DREADFUL

HAPPENS, A MOMENT AGO THINGS WERE NOT LIKE THIS

LET IT BE THEN, NOT NOW, ANYTHING BUT NOW

AND YOU TRY AND TRY TO REMAKE THEN

BUT YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T.

SO YOU TRY TO HOLD THE MOMENT QUITE STILL

AND NOT LET IT MOVE ON AND SHOW ITSELF...

...TODAY MIGHT BE TOUGH FOR YOU. YOU MAY

NOT WANT THE NEXT MOMENT TO SHOW ITSELF,

TO REVEAL THE TWISTS AND TURNS OF LIFE'S MYSTERY.

BUT AT LEAST YOU HAVE IT. YOU STILL HAVE LIFE.

A CHOICE AS TO HOW YOU WILL LIVE THIS PRECIOUS DAY.

DON'T WISH IT AWAY, DON'T WASTE IT.

FOR THE LOVE THAT'S HOLY, REDEEM ONE HOUR.

HOLD IT CLOSE. CHERISH IT. ABOVE ALL,

BE GRATEFUL FOR IT. LET YOUR THANKSGIVING

RISE ABOVE THE DIN OF DISAPPOINTMENT-

OPPORTUNITIES LOST, MISTAKES MADE,

THE CLAMOR OF ALL THAT HAS NOT YET TO COME.

AND IF TODAY IS SO HORRENDOUS THAT THE GIFT

DOESN'T SEEM WORTH ACKNOWLEDGING.

IF YOU CAN'T FIND ONE MOMENT TO ENJOY,

ONE SIMPLE PLEASURE TO SAVOR,

ONE FRIEND TO CALL, ONE PERSON TO LOVE,

ONE THING TO SHARE, ONE SMILE TO OFFER;

IF LIFE IS SO DIFFICULT YOU DON'T WANT TO BOTHER

LIVING IT TO THE FULLEST,

THEN DON'T LIVE TODAY FOR YOURSELF,

LIVE IT INSTEAD FOR HER, FOR L."

As I type this, read it again after not reading it for some time,

there are others who will gain from this today,

one of my own, my own T.

Pray for all those today who suffer from

drug addictions and/or mental illness.