His wife died. She was not just his wife. She was his childhood sweetheart, his sister's best friend, another daughter to his mother. She died in childbirth. Her first child, a girl. Instead of a joyful homecoming and a life together as mother and father, he came home as a single dad with a fragile baby girl.
His sister moved in with him. Her heart was broken, but she set herself aside and became aunt and mom to that sweet baby girl. We barely knew them. When I heard, I asked my church family to pray...to pray and cook. That's what we church folks do; we pray and we cook. I remember taking more food than his freezer would hold; some sort of sustenance for the body as his spirit was starving for the lost dream.
I met his mom for lunch a couple times, and his sister. Beautiful women, both heartsick for their own loss, which was compounded by pain for their son and brother; extreme anguish for their granddaughter and niece. But, his sister's life could not stay on hold. She married and had children of her own.
As life will have it, that baby is no longer a baby. She is around 9 or 10 now, I think. A precious girl as seen in FB posts. He learned how to fix hair and cook and create joyful occasions for his daughter. His life devoted to her and to his work, for he is an extremely creative man who needs to create.
FB has its problems, but sometimes it brings wonderful welcome news. News that would not have been sent to me, personally. I am so far on the periphery of these lives, but I care deeply about them and love to see their pictures and hear their stories.
Today, I learned he is getting married to a beautiful woman; one his family loves dearly. The smile on his face in the pictures brought me such delight.
I pray they will be happy. I pray that if they want children they are given that gift, and that they, together, get to raise them along with that precious little girl. I would never call her motherless, for she has a mother; one that could not be present from day to day, but one whose very life gave her life and personality and looks. Now, she has two mothers, one present and one who will always be part of her.
I love when those who have been in the deepest of grief rediscover pure happiness.
Congratulations, David
