Sad News

“Strange... how you can be living your dreams and your nightmares at the very same time.” 

― Ransom Riggs

My DH is the youngest of eight--five boys and three girls. He comes from a big, loving family with more aunts and uncles and cousins and nieces and nephews than I could ever keep up with. I have always counted myself blessed to have married into this bunch. Yesterday we received a call from the DH's next youngest sister at 6:00 in the morning. She knows we're early birds, but when the phone rings at that hour, you know it's not good.

The DH's brother Lynn died. 

Lynn on the links

He and his wife had been vacationing in Florida and from the looks of their FB photos, they'd been having a wonderful time. They're avid golfers, very active. But on Sunday morning, the day they were to return to Iowa, Lynn collapsed shortly after rising, an apparent heart attack.

Everyone is in shock, and not just in our massive extended family. Lynn was a much-loved Lutheran pastor who had only retired last summer. Blessed with the same resonant baritone as my DH, Lynn often sang the liturgy, which made for a very special worship experience. He baptized, married, and buried countless parishioners and touched countless lives.  

He certainly touched mine. 

Lynn helped officiate at our wedding. Before the ceremony which was scheduled for 1:00 PM, my grandpa chose that time to decide that I shouldn't skip lunch and went in search of a hamburger joint. The lace on the sleeve of my wedding gown got torn somehow and Lynn's sweet wife, who always carried a needle and spool of white thread to weddings, calmly stepped into the fray to stitch it back up. By the time Grandpa got back with the burgers, I was in my gown and couldn't risk a ketchup stain but also didn't want to hurt his feelings. There were so many details swirling around me I was a little freaked out.

At that point, Lynn took me aside and told me no matter what happens, everything will be fine. In less than half an hour, we'd be married and that was the only important thing.

Lynn was good at identifying the important things. Love of God. Love of family. Emphasis always on Love. 

We are waiting to hear what the arrangements are going to be, and whether we will be able to join the family in mourning in northeastern Iowa before we have to be in St. Louis for our flight to LA on Sunday. We've mapped out the 500+ mile trip from our town to Lynn's. I've accelerated our last minute schedule of things to get done this week. We'd originally planned to spend a couple of days with #1 Daughter, but now I'm wondering if we'll see her longer than it takes to give her the keys to the vehicle we intend to leave with her. Details are starting to swirl around me again.   

And I can almost hear Lynn saying everything will be fine. Maybe not now. Or next week. Or even next year, but it will be fine eventually. And the important thing is we will see Lynn again when we meet at the feet of the One whose name is Love.