Moving on, through, under, over

Oh, but life can be cruel and difficult.

My coworker moved house last week. She had been trying to buy the home she was renting, but her financing fell through (to do with something she discovered during her recent divorce after a very long marriage). Now, normally moving house is just stressful and expensive. But in her case, it was downright heartbreaking. Soul consuming. Gut wrenching.

See, she and her family moved into that house about 5 months before her middle child, her only son, was killed in a plane crash at the age of 14. She was forced to leave the last place her son lived. Even though they'd only been there a few months, leaving the last space he dwelled in was devastating for her.

She and I have talked a lot about this and about how difficult it is leaving that place where she last saw, heard, touched her beloved boy. My heart absolutely goes out to her. I can't tell you the number of times I have just wanted to put him back together and present him to her, so she can once again hear him call her "Mom." Oh, how I wish I had that power.

On top of the moving, she got a cold, so she was dealing with physical illness as well as a stress so deep and so engulfing that she wondered if she needed to quit working and go on disability. Her losses run deep - her son, her marriage, and her eldest daughter going away to college 8 hours away.  But she is making it through, day by day.

I brought her a bottle of wine today, along with a card. I found the card from some that the Epilepsy Foundation had sent to me; the cards were all paintings done by people with epilepsy. This particular one featured differently colored human shapes, piled up in sort of a pyramid, lifting up the one on top. I felt it appropriate, hoping she is feeling lots of support.

I specifically picked out a wine from Chile,  and I told her the reason why: it is one of my favorite places on earth, and holds good memories of a place filled with beauty, kindness, and the friendliest folks I've ever met. And I wrote that I hope she finds that in her new place - a place to build new memories and fill with amazing people. I think she will, if she can make it through this really, really difficult time.

After all the devastation and loss she has endured, I want that for her, more than anything.