Thursday, April 8, 2010

Yet time continued to pass

Today was rough. Something happened that I haven't been able to get out of my head, and just writing about it makes my heart race.

I was running by the harbor and ahead of me I saw a family walking down the sidewalk. They looked liked tourists with their hats and cameras. The teenage son said something to the mom and she laughed in response. Then, just as I was about to pass, something happened. The mom answered her phone, and within seconds she began to sob hysterically and collapsed to the grass. The dad told the boys to sit down and the mom held the phone to her ear while she let out high pitched, painful sobs. It was the kind of noise you never want to hear. It was the kind that is inside of all of us, just waiting for a time to come out. I wondered what the bad news was. I wondered if the family would be okay. What would they do next? Where would they go?

And then I kept running. I looked back at the family sitting on the grass, knowing they were beginning a time of devastation and grief. But, within minutes they were out of sight. For me, nothing had changed. The sun did not stop shining. Time continued to pass. My legs kept going.

5 comments:

vcouvrey said...

i think realizing we're all in this walk of life together and everyone will experience intense sadness and grief makes me less afraid of what comes next, you know?

thanks for the post linds

Anonymous said...

goosebumps
we are all human

Anonymous said...

i just read it again out loud to Eryk and couldn't help but cry through it. It's not even my moment or my loss or my experience but your way with words got me. Thank you.

Lindsay said...

Thanks, guys. Love and miss you both!! So much!

sarah said...

You should be a writer, Lindsay! That was moving.