Life

Yesterday we learned of the passing of a life.  Abe's Uncle Ivan (his dad's brother) passed away after a very long (6 year) battle with cancer.  For as long as I've known him, he'd been fighting the battle.  Living his life to the fullest that his body would allow.  The cancer had spread to places unknown to me, and the Cancer Treatment Center in Tulsa helped him to live the best life he possibly could with such a diagnosis.  We had a feeling last week that Ivan would not be on this Earth much longer, and received word yesterday that he had passed.  We are thankful there is no more suffering to be done by him for he is now pain free and rejoicing at the sight of our Heavenly Father.  But, being our mortal selves, we cannot help but feel sadness and pain.  Grief for my husband who lost his uncle, grief for Abe's grandmother who has now lost two sons (as well as her own husband several years back), grief for Ivan's children and grandchild, grief for Ivan's only remaining sibling, and grief for Ivan's wife.  What a difficult road it must be to watch a loved one suffer so much, and then rejoice knowing they are no longer in pain, yet feel so empty and sad to no longer have to ability to physically touch such a person in one's life.  If you think of it, please pray for Abe's family this week, and especially on Friday as we gather at Ivan's funeral to celebrate a life and grieve our loss.