Unexpected Loss Less Ordinary

Greetings Dear Reader,

“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.” – Meditation XVII, John Donne

As many of you know I am a college professor and that I love my students dearly. Yesterday I watched our dean struggle through informing us that one of our students had passed away suddenly over the weekend. Further it was one of my students. I will not go into the details of his passing but I do want to talk about the suddenness of the loss.

This student was a good student. He did his work well, helped others, and was in line for an excellent future in the industry. That is all gone now. We are lessened for it. Those who received his help will no longer benefit from it when they are in need. The teachers who valued his work will not perceive that moment of joy and satisfaction when marking his work. I will no longer greet his smile in the hall and hear how happy he is with his progress and learning.

Today I and all who knew return to their lives lessened, diminished. God knows what he is doing even though in this moment all I see is lost potential in lost youth. I am lessened but can become more. I am diminished but can increase. It all depends on how I take in and digest this tragic event.

I must honor the loss of this fine young man by seeing it through the eyes of my faith and realizing that loss is gain when I do so. I must cling to my faith so that I may comfort my other students. I must use my faith so that I may mentor the teachers who look to me for leadership. I must wield my faith so that I do not look past it to foolish pondering that would in turn diminish me further.

Death seeks neither approval nor lease to visit us. He makes his appointed rounds at the behest of God and that divine construct of history that we barely grasp at our best of times. So to my student, I say I love you and will miss you. To those of us left behind I send the challenge to be better for having known him. “Good night sweet prince, and may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a home owner. He brings new and old things out of his treasure store."

A Long Road

Greetings Dear Reader,

I spend more time than I ever have pondering the results of some poor and some excellent choices I have made in my life. A mandolin rain constantly falls in certain areas of my memory. It is one of those summer storms that come on harsh and leave you with thick humidity after they go. They pop up unexpectedly without regard to current events. The times are inconvenient but the storms are irrefutable. Much of the time I weather the storm well enough but it is the humidity afterward that saps my energy, strength, and hope. And so it goes that the road ahead holds many of these storms whether I want them or not.

Fortunately some days are diamonds. There are moments, sometimes whole days where I see that all that has passed, whether I did right or wrong, serves a purpose. I regret the wrong and would change it if I could but not if it changed the ways in which good things came from it. Still, with a full knowledge of my own failures, I know that there are places where I make a positive difference.

The struggle is the humid void left by the storms of loneliness and abandonment. My first response is to look outward to others and then inward to my own needs. The answer is to look up. The answer is to keep looking up. The sky is lovely after those storms. I must look up to see the glory and beauty created by what has passed. Each time I remember to find Christ is in the storm and its aftermath I am glad I did. Even the pain of what can seem to be wasted time is actually invested in learning how to anticipate what lies further up the long road home.

There is joy in the journey even when walking on one that is humid, dusty, and lonely. I hope you find yours.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a home owner. He brings new and old things out of his treasure store."

Tribute to a Friend

Greetings Dear Reader,

Beginning next Monday the mornings will be dimmer in Madison, Wisconsin. There is no great weather change or astronomical event on the horizon. Rather, there is a true star in the early morning air that will be missing. Sarah Carlson, one of the NBC15 morning anchors is taking a leave of absence due to her need to maintain her epilepsy.

She has been open and honest about her battle with the elusive and hindering disease since the start. She has been a friend to my daughter and I over the last year. She has made a difference in her work both through her compassion for others and her very real presence at local events. It is not just her profession, but her person that has made Madison a better place.

It is time to show our love and support of one who took a job and turned it into a way to make a difference in the community. I challenge those of you who have benefited from Sarah’s work to remain supportive and she manages life with the challenges of being a single mom, wrangling toddlers, and beginning to rebuild life around an unpredictable malady. After she signs off this Friday, do not forget she still needs the support of the community she has served.

It will be easy to miss her. It will take effort to keep supporting her. I challenge those of you who have benefited from her work to do just that. Do not let her slip into the background; rather keep her in your hearts and minds. When you see her, remind her that she matters. When there are events that support her causes, participate. Sarah Carlson has given us so very much of herself over the years. It is time for us to give back, for years if necessary.

Wishing Sarah and all of you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn