I’ve mentioned before that in the (almost) five years I’ve been blogging, I’ve developed friendships with other bloggers where even though we might not have met in real life, they still are special friends in which I hold a tender place in my heart. There is an immediate bond with other bloggers about our common love of food and writing/photographing about it. We’ll also share emails to help one another through the technical side of running a blog. These little emails and small gestures of helping each other quickly build a trust between one another.
One of these friends of mine woke up Thanksgiving morning to a phone call about the sudden and unexpected death of her father, with whom she was very very close. Sudden deaths like this hit me hard, especially when they happen to loved ones of friends, even friends I’ve never met. It’s something I’ve never had to deal, yet, myself. And it’s definitely something that I know is inevitable, and I dread it. But, I know there can be hope in it and that hope can be felt when you’re surrounded with support.
Because I do not have her address to send flowers, and I live thousands of miles away so I can’t attend the funeral, I thought all weekend on how to show my support. That’s why today I am taking a break from my blog and encouraging a moment of silence for all of my readers. Furthermore, take a moment to genuinely pray for my friend and her family as they grieve this tragic time in their lives while searching for hope through this. Prayer is big, and I want it to be felt all the way from here (California) to there (Indiana). In the meantime, tell your friends and family you love them because you never know when it will be your last chance.
Notyet100 says
November 28, 2011 at 1:50 AMYa thts so true,…even I believe in the same philosophy
rescie says
November 28, 2011 at 3:19 AMThis is so difficult. I lost a dear, sweet friend last week very suddenly. I worked with him, saw him fall in love, the marriage, and a 3-month-old son. That child will never know what a sweet, loving, non-critical person his daddy was. The last picture I have of him was taken a couple of days before his death, he’s holding Will and such a look of sheer joy, pride and love on his face. He was only 34 and his wife is mid-20’s. Can’t get my head around it. A father is a hard thing to lose but imagine what his wife is dealing with.
Laura says
November 28, 2011 at 5:39 AMMy heart has been aching for her. Lots of love and prayers going to Annie and her family today! Her dad seemed like the best guy.
Jackie says
November 28, 2011 at 6:02 AMHi,
I’m a frequent reader of your blog and this post meant a lot to me. One because we have the same blogging friend and two, because it shows that the world isn’t such a cold and unfeeling place. I suffered a horrific car accident on 11/23 but I was able to walk away with just a cut middle finger. When I read A’s post, I thank God that one I was alive and two to be alive to continue to be a mother to my two babies. I have sent up prayers to A and her family. And thank you for posting this.
Best,
Jackie
Angie R. says
November 28, 2011 at 10:38 AMWhat a wonderful gesture! And how true, prayer is a powerful tool. If that is the only thing we can do for someone, it is still a whole lot. I was so saddened to read her post on Thursday and it has been weighing heavy on my heart what she and her family must be going through. Continuing to pray for their comfort and healing!
Daphne says
November 28, 2011 at 3:32 PMThank you so much for the wonderful thoughts for Annie and her family. I agree that we all need to take a moment to share our love with those around us because we are never guaranteed tomorrow. Prayer is powerful and I am saying a prayer for Annie to have the strength to see her through this.
Laura says
November 28, 2011 at 5:53 PMSo sorry to hear about your friend’s father. They will be in my T&P
Rachael G says
November 28, 2011 at 6:50 PMSuch a sweet tribute! I, too, felt my heart sink when I read A’s blog post. And while most of us physically can’t be there to share hugs and support, we can always, ALWAYS send lots of warm fuzzies their way.
Claire says
November 28, 2011 at 7:45 PMMany extra prayers for Annie and her sweet family!
Jessica @Sunny Side Up says
November 28, 2011 at 8:43 PMI’ve thought of her so much since Thursday. She has been in my prayers, it’s just so heartbreaking.
Annie says
November 29, 2011 at 7:09 AMThank you so much for this Nikki. I really appreciate the gesture and the prayers.
Christine S. says
December 5, 2011 at 5:15 PMMy favorite gift from the holidays was a digital camera I got 5 years ago! It was pretty hip to have the one that I had, but now it looks like a kid’s toy. I still use it from time to time… trying to save up for a DSLR.
Christine S. says
December 5, 2011 at 5:21 PMI’m so sorry for mistakenly commenting on this post, but my prayers go out to your fellow blogger friend, Annie.