Christmas 1400 Hours introduced the idea that holidays are not always joyous affairs. At least they are not great for everyone. That thought morphed into a series discussing that reality. This is a continuation of that same train of thought and is being published the day after Christmas for a reason.

Some may feel it is gloomy to highlight that tragedies do not take holidays. I look at it differently. Tragedies are a natural part of life, unlike holidays, which are human inventions.

I also think it is important to avoid letting tragedies define us. For instance, a man I admired greatly came to the end of his journey four weeks ago. He was bright, a giver, successful, and deeply loved by friends and family. He was the image of a successful businessman and philanthropist in his prime.

Then something seemed off. He went to the doctor. The diagnosis was stage 4 cancer. Five weeks later, he died. His memorial service was ten days ago, and several hundred people attended. Now his friends and family are dealing with the vacuum left by his passing.

It is impossible to know with certainty what tomorrow will bring. Sometimes tomorrow will bring joy and wonderment. Other times it may bring sorrow and bewilderment. While we should not fear tragedy and death, we must acknowledge they are part of life. We must also know we are capable of surviving losses and pain.

In a case like the one described here, the way to survive and flourish is to focus on life rather than loss. Also, we should remember our lost ones would not want grief and pain to overwhelm us. Rather, they want us to find joy and happiness in their memory and our future.

Tomorrow, The Saga of Rosy and June begins. That saga started the day after Christmas fifteen years ago, when a possibility became a reality, and that reality was scary.

© oneoldcop.com 2022

@jacksonseric