A couple months ago, I wrote about my two dogs. I talked about how 4-year-old Willow and puppy Aspen were managing to share a home and life despite their different personalities. I used their example to invite us to think about the people who touch our lives, despite our differences, and to offer thanks for them.

I am glad I wrote about the dogs when I did, because Willow died last month. We didn’t know she had a tumor, and the condition that took her life doesn’t show symptoms until there is nothing that can be done. It was all very sudden and shocking and so sad.

She died nearly three weeks ago. Through the first week, I posted thoughts and reflections on facebook (#grievingWillow) and was struck by how writing a short paragraph helped me to see my own pain and progress. It helped when friends in all parts of my life offered words of comfort and support. The pain has eased as we’ve gotten used to her absence, but I still find it painful to tell the story when I encounter a neighbor or friend who hasn’t heard. I sometimes don’t bring it up, putting off telling the sad news to another day. I expect that later the grief will be a little easier.

In these days after Willow’s death, I have learned not only how very much she meant to me. I have learned that sharing grief or sharing a struggle somehow makes it more bearable. Hearing from people who saw pictures of Willow online, I learned about their losses, too. Encountering neighbors, who had grown accustomed to seeing us walking in all seasons, helped me see that they shared my sense of loss and sorrow – Willow was part of their lives, too. Laughing through tears with my daughters as we talked about Willow’s strong-willed antics, helped me understand that while loss is bitter, the love that makes it hurt is truly sweet.

We are not created to be alone. We are born into families and communities that shape us and nurture us. We find friendships and companions that enrich our lives. In celebration we come together and rejoice for each other. In sorrow, we come together and cry for each other. God is present in the care of a friend, the compassion of a family member, and the kindness of an acquaintance. Life’s joys are a little sweeter and life’s sorrows are a bit more tolerable when we rely on the community that surrounds us, sharing those times of happiness and of sadness. Thanks be to God.

Prayer

Gracious God,

You have woven us together with others.

Families.  Friends.  Classmates.  Co-workers.  Neighbors.  Strangers.

Thank you for the people who share my life.

Thank you for the ways my sorrows and burdens are sometimes eased by sharing them.

Thank you for the ways my joys and successes are sometimes increased by sharing them.

Guide me to support people in my life when they are in need.

Help me to reach out for support when I am in need.

Transform this world into a place where people rely on each other, care for each other, and live your love.

Amen.