?!?!?!?!

I am shocked, stunned, appalled, devastated, and - surprisingly - pissed off!  This has to be the most whacked-out summer I've ever had.  The past two months were stressful in the extreme because of the whole house-buying/closing fiasco, but also because our friends keep dying...

First our friend Sam's wife passed, then Brenda was killed, then Wednesday we got the word that Greg's friend and former bandmate (Greg is a drummer, Tommy played bass) had succumbed to the cancer he's been battling for awhile.  All that was bad enough, but this morning Greg left fairly early to go to Home Depot to get some gutter for the roof, and called me:

"I have some bad news," he said.  "Chris is dead."  I thought it was a really bad prank that Chris put him up to, so I responded, "You lie!"  Greg said, "No, really - his brother Tom just called me..."  and then he went on to tell me that there was an ATV accident on Chris's annual camping trip with his buddies, and that Chris was killed.  WHAT???!!!  How is this possible?  He was just at our house a few days ago!  He works with Greg every day (or, at least, almost every day)!  We hang out with him and Donna...

I just can't get my head around this one - it's just too surreal and too raw.  It's been fascinating to watch myself be completely irrational - I'm pissed that he left us in the lurch - no friend, no co-worker, no cohort in crime.  I'm stunned that a 40 year-old scuba-diving, volunteer fire-fighting, fun-loving prankster is not invincible after all.  I selfishly wonder if Greg's boss will have to close his company because of the HUGE void left by Chris's passing, and even more selfishly wonder who is going to help us remodel parts of our new house.  I mean, we had PLANS, and they VERY MUCH included Chris!  I still keep thinking that it is, in fact, a really, really bad joke, and somebody will call us any minute to say "Gotcha!"  And yet...

Needless to say, I'm in another stall...so sorry...  Further bulletins as events warrant...

Comments

[Marilyn (mlj-mlj)]

Sue~ I am so sorry for your loss. The mixture of emotions is quite common when faced with such tragedy. Please take care of yourself and your friends. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Hugs, Marilyn

[Edna Siu]

"What a heavy burden God has laid on men!
I have seen all the things that are done under the sun;
all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
What is twisted cannot be straightened;
what is lacking cannot be counted....."
Ecclesiastes 1:13b-15

Sue, it is a difficult if there will be no answer!

"When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe man's labor on earth,
then I saw all that God has done.
No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun.
Despite all his efforts to search it out,
man cannot discover its meaning......."
Ecclesiastes 8:16-17

I pray that you will find there will be peace and solace in His hand;
dwell in His tent and take refuge in the shelter of His wings.

"I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."
Psalms 27;13 -14

You are in my thoughts and prayers!

[leslie]

OMG. I am so sorry. My thought are with you.

[Peggy]

Your reactions and emotions are truly logical. I am sure you will find answers or acceptance at some point. My thoughts and prayers are with you during your difficult times and the families that are affected.

[Karen]

My thoughts and prayers are with you as you deal with the losses in your life.

[Jenn Embry]

Oh sweetie, I am soooo very sorry. I can only imagine how I would feel if I were in your position. I'm sitting here crying for you, just thinking about it. My thoughts and prayers are with you. ((((hugs))))

[Ginny]

I am so so sorry. It is strange the way we deal with things isn't it. Again, so sorry!