sonora2sonoma

It’s always shocking when someone you know dies. Death, after all, is a normal process, part of the great mystery we call life, so it’s odd that we react like we do when it comes around. And yet, it remains a signature event, something instantly memorable that grips our attention like nothing else. Whether it’s the finality of death that gives it so much of its power, or the way it reminds us all that our time will come too, it elicits the most powerful emotions in ways that stop us dead in our tracks, forcing us to reckon with feelings that in many instances, we were only dimly aware we had beforehand.

When someone close to us passes, the impact on those who remain is all the more profound; it leaves big holes in the lives of the survivors. When children are among them, the impact can be immeasurable.

Amid the disruption and displacement that surrounds someone’s passing, it’s good to take note of the clarity such an event provides concerning what is truly important, freed of all the distractions in which we daily immerse ourselves. Beneath all the fluff, beyond all the din and clamor, lie those qualities that give life its meaning–things like love of family,  goodness of heart and care for our brethren. As the world changes, these things will never fall out of style, and are always waiting as silent reminders to give us strength in our time of need.

Tim Konrad, Petaluma, CA

May 2, 2019