Monday, May 02, 2005
Double Tragedy
I returned to work today after being out of state the second half of last week. I knew that one of my employees lost his father while I was gone, and I felt really bad for him. I felt worse that I could not attend his father's funeral.
When I arrived at the office this morning, I learned that another employee lost his mother on Saturday. That was bad enough until the other shoe dropped. His daughter, en route to his mother's home, died in an auto accident. This is the second time I have known something like this to happen.
About 15 years ago, one of my best friends took her own life on New Year's Eve. Her mother found her body the following morning and went to tell her father (the young woman's grandfather) what had happened. Upon learning of his granddaughter's death, the father fell dead of a heart attack.
As sad I was about losing a very close friend, I felt terrible for her mother, who lost two people she loved. Her sadness was almost unbearable, as I am sure is the case with my employee and his family.
I feel sure that a person never fully gets over losing a child, but I pray he will find the skills to cope with his losses.
When I arrived at the office this morning, I learned that another employee lost his mother on Saturday. That was bad enough until the other shoe dropped. His daughter, en route to his mother's home, died in an auto accident. This is the second time I have known something like this to happen.
About 15 years ago, one of my best friends took her own life on New Year's Eve. Her mother found her body the following morning and went to tell her father (the young woman's grandfather) what had happened. Upon learning of his granddaughter's death, the father fell dead of a heart attack.
As sad I was about losing a very close friend, I felt terrible for her mother, who lost two people she loved. Her sadness was almost unbearable, as I am sure is the case with my employee and his family.
I feel sure that a person never fully gets over losing a child, but I pray he will find the skills to cope with his losses.
