Amazing Grace
There is a new baby in my extended family. She is perfect. Tiny, adorable, a good sleeper, looks like her dad (my nephew), and so loved. There is nothing like a birth to bring a family together in hope and celebration.
Another member of our extended family has been told she has just weeks to live. An otherwise healthy, vibrant woman in her mid-seventies is being struck down by cancer. She is managing this ultimate life transition with grace, amazing grace.
A life begins and another draws to a close. It’s a lot to take in. Two lives to celebrate—one in its infancy and another at its end. My nephew misses his mother, who died five years ago and is not here to meet her first grandchild. My brother-in-law is preparing to lose his partner, the love of his life.
All families experience these beginnings and endings, these transitions of great joy and significant sadness. It’s quite a ride when they happen together.
Have you experienced a big loss around the same time as a big win, in your life? It may not have been a new life and an upcoming death. What was it? You might consider sharing your experience in the comment section here.
Beautifully said, Ann. I also thought of the circle of life, birth and death. Two portals - both can be joyful.