It Comes in Threes

I've heard that death comes in threes. That has certainly been the case this month. First my co-worker lost her dad to cancer. She has not been back to work yet and already two more of the people I care about have lost a loved one. On Monday I found out that a friend who does Parent to Parent Support in the opposite end of Washington State from me suddenly lost her husband in a car accident. She has a wicked sense of humor and has an son with Down syndrome a few years older then Kellen. Then late last night I got an email from a friend who works for our school district. He has been helping me advocate for Kellen for years. His email was letting me know that his son had just passed away. I have always appreciated the fact that my friend not only is a professional in the field of disabilities, but he is also a parent of a child with significant disabilities. I am so sad for his loss. Any time a parent loses a child it hits too close to home for me.

In his email he wrote, "I know you understand how tightly our beloved children are sewn into the fabric of our lives so I don't have to explain to you how devastating this is. It just makes me more determined to do everything I can to see that Kellen and others get every opportunity to be happy and successful at school."

I need to say thank you to my son today for introducing three wonderful people into my life. After all, I am sure I wouldn't have met any of them if it weren't for Kellen.

Give your loved ones an extra squeeze for me today. To my friends: I am thinking of you.