Today is a sad day, then again, yesterday was even moreso. A dear friend of mine passed unexpectedly from complications in an early delivery. Although four weeks early, her son came out six pounds, four ounces; a testiment that God’s hand was at work in the womb preparing that baby for the arrival. All things considered, her baby should have come out on the projected delivery date weighing in around seven pounds. So for the baby to be at that healthy weight four weeks prior, was all God I believe. But this isn’t a sadness about the baby of course, that was a joy. The sadness is that my dear friend passed hours later from bleeding in her brain. We work out at a gym together. She’s been mentioning lately that’s she’s been more tired than usual and not feeling well. But then who wouldn’t after eight months of carrying extra weight around, I’m sure that can be quite taxing on energy levels. Yesterday morning though, she woke up not feeling well and thought maybe she was experiencing some contractions. At just over 30 years old, this was her and her husband’s fourth child. Something about it was different and my friend started to feel back pain. The ambulance came and two minutes after arriving at the hospital the doctors had her baby delivered, c-section. Later in the afternoon, my friend was dizzy and suffering from a bad headache. After a shower and a nap, she was feeling worse. So much so, she couldn’t even hold herself up. She passed out. The doctors never got to her scheduled surgery last night, she had died. While I was sitting in the waiting room, I couldn’t help but notice my friend’s husband twirling her wedding ring around his finger. ‘It’s just not supposed to be, he’s not supposed to get that back’. There were not many of us there. Many heard her delivery was a success. I guess that word ‘success’ signifies the end of a story for some. This story didn’t end that way though. After hours listening to her husband wail in the waiting room, thinking of how the children (5-year twins and a 3-year old) would take the news the following morning… today. I am sad for this family who lost a wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend.

I decided I needed to spring into action and help, instead of leaving this family to figure it out. I formed a list of people to cook meals for the husband and kids and turned it over to my church to get a schedule of meals going. I got up early today before work and put together ideas on how I could help raise money. The family didn’t have life insurance and my friend was a stay-at-home mom. The husband is a spiritual formation pastor for a missionary organization. I immediately went to my gym where my friend and I had worked out the day before and told them the news. The other women were just as devastated. My friend was a woman who deeply cared for people and helped counsel many of these ladies through tragedies themselves. I’ve cleaned up some photos in photoshop of my friend and have them on a poster in the gym to help raise money for the family. I’ve shared her story with others who have pledged dollars to help the family. It’s day one and I have six hundred dollars by five o’clock. This is just the beginning though. Tonight, I will be at a prayer service for the family. I’m directing the gym members to call my church and sign up to help with food and money; at noon when I checked with the church office there was an outpouring of support from ladies at my gym. I hope to plan fundraiser in May as the kids get out of school. A sort of family fun day at a miniature golf park. I don’t know if all this will add up to much, but I feel like it’s better than sitting at home wishing I could do something.