The End?

It's interesting to me how things in life seem to repeat themselves.  Six years ago, Jake was in his second semester at the U in their under-graduate program of Architecture.  In February of that year, his brother Joel Gines died from a rare cancer called  "Synovial Sarcoma".  He had battled it for over two years, had even had the clear and then it returned in his lungs and eventually caused his death via "pneumonia". 

As it always seems with those who go before their time, Joel was full of life, crazy, ambitous and infectious.  He could almost talk you into anything and at times he did.  He was one of Jake's closest friends and is missed greatly to this day. 

Interestingly enough, this semester one of Jake's student's has a boyfriend who has been in and out of the hospital dealing with none other than the infamous "Cancer".  Jake found out early this morning that he passed away.  It almost brings tears to my eyes thinking about this.  Jake, having gone through this is so compassionate towards her and her needs.  Which was not the case when he was dealing with the death of his own brother; some of his professor's hardly allowed him time off for the funeral.  

My thoughts are all jumbled right now, so if none of this make's sense, I apologize.  I guess today was just another reminder of how precious life really is, and we never really know when and where it might end.  I am sure they thought they would win this battle as do most people who are dealt the hand of cancer.  Some do and some don't.  However, I do know that my thoughts and prayers go out to this girl, who must be struggling with so many emotions right now.  The why's, the not now's, the what if's.

How do you pull yourself back together and finish the year of school?  And how will this change you for the rest of your life?  As I watched my husband and his family go through their loss, it was interesting almost as if I were watching it in third person.

Joel and his wife were some of our best friends, and yet there was no comparison as to that of an immediate sibling or spouse, even child.  At times you feel helpless, I remember for various reason's some of which are kind of hurtful to this day, we were the last one's to see him in the hospital.  I remember thinking why didn't someone call us sooner, there were things to say, words of comfort to give. And yet, does any of that really matter when compared to the sobbing, aching hearts of the mom who gave birth to him, who raised him, the dad who taught him to be a strong and faithful man, the wife who shared his bed, who bore his children.  Tears gone, drained and none to be found, just the comfort and solace of the holy spirit helping and allowing his spirit to go into the next life.  I remember thinking how calm and soothing it seemed watching him lay in his hospital bed.  The opposite of what you would normally imagine.  As members of our church, I can honestly say that their was a peace that came over that room, thanks to the knowledge of our Heavenly Father, and a knowledge of eternal life and eternal families; and for that I am truly grateful.

So today, I send my thoughts and prayers out to this girl, who has lost I'm sure a part of her soul.  All that is left now is time, the time it will take for this all to pass, the time it will take for wounds to heal, and just plain time, because thank heaven's TIME heals everything, and to that, I'm grateful!