Mother Nature has been mercurial again – here March roared in like a lion, with freezing temps, bitter cold, blowing snow and lashing sleet. All this after a mid-February warm up to nearly 70F. The latest round felt like a mid-winter spanking. Are we safe to assume March will leave like a lamb? I’m not so sure.
A friend passed away last Sunday ~ shockingly young, leaving a wife and two children plus a business and employees to take care of. We struggled to absorb the news and rally around our friend. As expected, a call went out for food and folks didn’t disappoint. At the wake Friday night, were crocks full of hot foods like meatballs, macaroni and cheese, Sloppy Joe’s, Fettuccine Alfredo and Lasagna plus trays of cakes, cookies and squares, salads, raw vegetables, fresh fruit, deviled eggs, boiled shrimp, crackers and cheese, a baked ham and the fixings for sandwiches.
There’s something so comforting about being able to help at a time of sadness.
Many commented on the abundance of foods and I thought of Mom and my Auntie and all the times they’d done the same. It’s nice to be part of a community that comes together and provides sustenance when needed.
Later that evening, reflecting on the day, Hubbs and I chuckled at how we’d both observed the same thing: older gentlemen – every one of them had a big slab of cake (sometimes two), cookies or brownies on their plate ~ we laughed about how we could see my Dad or his Grandpa doing the same – how they knew enough to”go for the good stuff first.”
Co-mingled in the sadness is a lingering feeling of fellowship, the memory of a room growing loud with laughter and toasts to a good man.
And as the wind howls outside here today, no lambs are in sight.
** How does your family or community navigate loss? Are you experiencing Lambs or Lions where you live? **
