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November 4, 2006
Heart-Breaking News
My high school cross country coach passed away yesterday. It was totally unexpected. He was 47 years old, the picture of perfect health, still ran 50 miles/week. My heart aches. When I was in high school, coach and I were buddies. We ran just about every day together - in the summer, winter, all fall and all spring during track. He saw me through lots of highs and lows. He was much more than a coach for me, more like a very good friend, or perhaps a big brother. I can't believe he's gone.
But worse than my own heart ache, my heart is absolutely broken in pieces for his wife and three children. He married late and his kids are 6, 4 and 2 years old. I can't even begin to imagine the devastation his wife is feeling right now. How in the world do you explain to your 2 year old that daddy is gone and isn't coming back any more? My eyes tear up thinking about it. It just does not make sense. And it's not fair.
But I know life isn't always fair and it doesn't always makes sense. Okay, it rarely makes sense. I certainly won't every understand it but I know there's a reason. Coach lived his life to the fullest and touched the lives of many, many people as a coach, as a teacher, as a wonderful, caring person. Gone yes, forgotten never. Reminds me that life is just too short to worry about anything other than the most important things. And that life cannot be taken for granted.
Posted by beth at November 4, 2006 8:10 PM
Comments
My heart goes out to you, Beth. Personal experience has also taught me that it's wasted time to ask the "Why?" questions. As you said, it is many times more productive to live life to its fullest capacity and to take with us the things that we have learned from those who are gone. I'm thinking of you.
Posted by: Meghan at November 5, 2006 12:46 AM