There has been a lot of tragedy in the news lately: Hurricane Harvey, the earthquake in Mexico, and Hurricane Maria to name a few. But tragedy isn’t always big and newsworthy. Sometimes it doesn’t flood a city, destroy buildings, or devastate an island. Sometimes tragedy is closer to home. Sometimes it only impacts a close circle of family and friends, but even on a smaller scale tragedy is still tragic.
This morning I learned that the father of a boy my son has been friends with for 5 years (which for an 8-year-old is a very long time) had a heart attack several weeks ago and has not regained consciousness. The family is no longer preparing for his recovery. They are preparing for his death. A GoFundMe has been set up for the family. (UPDATE: Henry Anderson has died.)
Hank was a delightful man. The type that children gathered around on the playground or at birthday parties. Our community is losing a kind and joyful person. A family is losing their father, grandfather, and husband.
This is another sobering reminder in a recent barrage of so many sobering reminders that life can change quickly. It is a reminder to appreciate every moment with the people you love. It is a reminder to count your blessings while you still have them.
If you are lucky enough to not currently be personally impacted by tragedy I encourage you to help those who have. There are many ways to do that. One of the easiest ways for many of us tends to be to donate money. Even a little bit can show your support.
- Here is a list a of places to donate to support Puerto Rico
- Here is the GoFundMe page for my friend’s family
And of course there are many more places and people to support. None of us can help everyone, but most of us can help someone. Choose someone to support today. Anyone. Any amount. Do it because you are kind. Do it because someday you may be the one who needs help.
Kim Z. Dale 