Last week a meteor blasted across the skies of Russia with many a car camera catching it’s unforeseen flight. At about the same time, people gathered in other locations with their telescopes to watch a much larger but predicted asteroid slide harmlessly past the earth. The two events were completely unrelated according to all the news reports I read or heard. But, I can’t help thinking they feel connected. Like one caused the other or made the other more likely. And they smacked of catastrophe or like we dodged catastrophe. Setting all rational science-minded wisdom aside, I say: “That’s weird. Two hunks of rock and metal swiping us in one week.”
That’s the way this past week went for me in my personal life, too.
Here is a short list of the deaths and near deaths that touched my life. Tuesday the 12th was particularly ugly.
- A three month old baby, whose struggles with genetic anomalies I have followed, passed away.
- My dear friend’s husband died after many years of living with cancer.
- Another friend’s father-in-law nearly died from a heart that stopped for reasons the doctors still do not understand.
- My mother’s cousin passed away after a long life.
- My cousin experienced public violence that touched his life on the island of Guam.
That was the week’s list. It felt heavy, dark, and like the stars were aligned to bring both death and meteors. I know. Silly superstition. I’m usually an annoying Pollyanna type. When I start to have a bad day, I can most of the time shake myself out of it by expecting something better for the rest of the day. Just not last week.
Here’s to a better week to end up my February and begin the spring.
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I’m sorry you had such a bad week! They do show up now and then. The meteor was supposed to have been the largest to hit Earth in about 100 years. May this week be that “century” bad week for you.
I spent the week with a daughter in ICU for several days, did major damage to my thumb on a table saw, juggled kids while my wife is out of state helping her mother recover from surgery, and attended the funeral of a 17 yr old who took her life.
…But yours was worse. Hang in there, cousin!
I don’t know, Stuart. Yours sounded grim, too. Sorry about the 17 year old. We lost a 16 year old in our community to suicide the week before. It was painful even though I had no personal connection to her – only through friends who knew her. So far, this week is already much better than the last two. My inner Pollyanna is perking up:)
Go, Pollyanna, go! Being a Polyanna is a “secret” for an enjoyable life. (At least, looking back from where I am now.)