Death Comes in Threes

I remember, as a child, older relatives saying "Death comes in threes." I did not think too much of it then, but, now that I am an adult (more or less!), it increasingly seems that this is true.

Over the past month, three precious people have passed away before they had a chance to get old. One of them was a wife and mother who enjoyed life and the people around her. One was a sweet gentleman who was in pain for many years, but even when he was home bound, reached out to others by way of encouraging cards. The last was a woman who, when I knew her, lived life at a frantic pace. She wanted to make a lot of money and retire early. I was in no position to say this to her, but I always wished that she would stop and smell the roses a little. Just in case. I am not sure exactly how old she was when she passed away recently, but I know that she was several years younger than me. Her death is especially sad to me, because I am not sure she ever really LIVED life.

Every day, I see friends and acquaintances living these frantically busy lives. They simply don't seem to know how to slow down and enjoy life. They use busyness like some people use drugs and alcohol. They stay busy to avoid or numb what is going on or has gone on in their lives.

My prayer is that my friends don't die before they have lived.

Really lived.