<$BlogRSDUrl$>
Essentially Esther Banner

Thursday, September 16, 2004

1977 QUIETLY SLIPS AWAY.... 

Yesterday I wrote about friends of ours who lost their grandson in a freak accident. This was in May. Imagine the shock to have a mutual friend call to tell us that the grandfather of the boy died in his sleep on August 29th. Only a little over three months after they lost their grandson.

Margaret got up early and thought Jim was still sleeping so she went to the kitchen and made coffee and started breakfast. Time went along, and Jim, who was not a late sleeper, still hadn’t come for his usual morning coffee. Finally, she went to the bedroom to see if he was up and discovered he was dead. Died sometime during the night. There is no way any of us can imagine the shock, disbelief and immediate devastation Margaret felt.

It was a terrible blow for the family. Jim was the consummate man. He was respected by men and women the same, he was a terrific dad, a great provider and enthusiasm oozed out of him wherever he went. They were a family to follow. He was involved in Boy Scouts, his church and the neighborhood at large. Margaret’s life that was so perfect early in May now found her mourning her grandson and her husband. We knew her grief would be inconsolable. Margaret, herself, lost a battle with cancer and died a few years later.

It seems there is a time in your life when the stronghold of innocence is finally beaten down to the point there is no escaping your own mortality. For me, this was one of those times. Sad, though a natural thing, is losing grandparents or aunts and uncles…..maybe a parent. This is more or less a ‘given’ and anticipated from time to time. However, when friends are taken so quickly, the circle becomes smaller and the possibility of your own demise becomes greater. It is ‘life’ knocking at your door for that ultimate “wake up” call.

John went back to Bolivar in August and Becky had surgery in December for re-occurring problems. We kept the children during the surgery and her recuperation. We had visits from mom’s family all during August and the fall season….we made numerous visits to Arkansas to take care of uncle Alfred’s needs and to visit aunt Beulah. The months seem shorter and shorter with each passing year but there isn’t any way to slow down the process. Life is a journey not a stopping off place…….and so we travel on……

Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther