Momento Mori, Part 2

Part 1 is this post by Art at Dana's site.

Death and disability have been weighing heavily on my mind for several months now, but I've never been sure how to discuss them in a post. One situation in particular has been bothering me. It's neither political nor altogether personal because I didn't really know the main person involved.

My son's Cub Scout leader has 4 sons. The oldest is my son's age and the next oldest is the age of my youngest daughter. These children have been friends for several years and I've had quite a bit of contact with the father, less so with the mother. This family is very nice, salt of the earth kinds of people.

A little over a year ago, this family discovered that their third son, who wasn't even 3 at the time, had a brain tumor. The shock and horror of everyone who found out was palpable. This brave family went through a successful surgery, chemo, and radiation treatments over the past year.

My children have had less contact with the children because of the need to keep germs to a minimum. Even so, I followed their story through the mother's blog entries on a local hospital website. Her writing has been, at times, sad, poignant, ecstatic, and thought-provoking. It certainly caused me to spend more time with my kids and less doing other things.

Tragically, the brain tumor came back and one week ago, this sweet 4-year-old boy died. His family is coping as best they can and they have much support through family, friends and community.

How does one cope with such a loss? I cannot imagine. I kissed my children and kept them close to me in the days that followed the news. It has helped me renew efforts to rebind severed ties with my teenage daughter. And it has reminded me that regardless of politics, we are all tied together through the human family.