"Mr. T"... Sarah and Scott Bickle's feisty and precious toddler, Thomas, lost his two year battle with brain cancer yesterday. I was staring at the screen on my desk yesterday evening, wanting to say something, needing to say something, but unable to make sense of much of anything when a friend request from Facebook popped up. I was responding to that request when I noticed a string of recent updates on a number of folk's profiles (those of you who are FB addicts know of which I speak) indicating feelings or reports on what they are doing. I have trouble keeping up with my car keys much less updating my mood every few hours, so I rarely participate, but on this day I did have something to report, so I just typed in "sad". Curiously, within a few minutes several folks on my "friends" list checked in to see why I was sad. I guess maybe the Facebook "community" can actually occasionally act like a community. I was grateful that they were concerned and we chatted with short FB and e-mail notes, but I still am mostly wordless and clueless.
I'm not interested in talking the theology of the afterlife...although I believe with all my heart that Thomas is now pain free and sitting in the arms of Someone whose arms feel lovingly like his mom and dad's. I'm not interested is debating whether they should read "The Shack" or "90 Minutes in Heaven" even though I know those have both been helpful resources for folks who are grieving. I'm just sad. Sad that a wonderful mom and dad had such precious little time with their beautiful son and even much of that was nursing him through pain and surgery and chemo. I'm sad that I was seldom present with them through any of this except by phone and e-mail...OK I also feel guilty about that. And I'm sad I can't articulate any better why I'm sad. Talking and writing for a living is what I do. It's a good thing I'm not being paid by the word today.
I love you Scott and Sarah. I do know that... and I can say that with certainty. And I can pray to a God who gets it even when words don't.
Pling...Pling...
dg
Friday, August 1, 2008
Sad
Labels:
Death,
Sadness,
Thomas Bickle
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4 comments:
David, you are an awesome and amazing friend... even and especially when there are no words.
Love and miss you,
cd
Love and hugs to you my friend.
Peace,
Lisa
Sometimes it just seems like good people never get a break, doesn't it?
I was actually on FB when you posted that, and stifled the urge to ask you why. I just figured that sometimes, all this technology has the potential to get into the way of normal human processing of the stuff that happens in their lives.
When something like this happens, it really does want to test our faith. It seems so pointless to try to wrap our minds around what has happened, and any attempt to do so often leaves us feeling cold at best, contrived and artificial at worst.
And yet...
Suppose the Spirit of that child knew full well the task at hand. Suspend reasoning long enough to consider that maybe, he was in fact, an Angel. An Angel who went through the process of that short lifespan to assist in becoming the focal point for all who were touched by that experience. If that were to be true, it certainly does not lesson the agony of the pain, but it would at LEAST offer us something to HOPE for. Hope that what transpired there was not some random act or occurrence, but rather at least part of some grander plan which we cannot fathom.
I wish peace and healing to you Scott and Sarah, and I hope you will be further bonded together by this terribly unpleasant experience. Your hearts are included in my prayers.
Love
Chiron
Wisdom comes with age only for the fact that the longer we live the more people God directs in our path that we can learn from each and every one. I read your blog today and I too searched for words to say. Somehow thinking words would make things all better. So as I search and I prayed and all I could think of was this baby. At that moment I realized "Mr.T" already showed us what to do. He couldn't talk or write but he touched people. That's what you do - touch people not by words but by who you are at the deepest core of your being. The purest form of your soul. People will see, they will know even in your silence. They will know what words can not say.
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