In memory of Vicki

Our publisher's wife, Vicki, died this week. I went to her memorial service today.

She was relatively young: just about to turn 60 next week. It was a sudden heart attack. The weird thing was, she was at the college when it happened. The spokesman there only knows my extension, so he called me to tell me she had collapsed and they were doing CPR. I had to pull Geoff out of a meeting. It felt strange to see his smile as he came out to talk to me, knowing what he was about to hear.

The electricity went out at the funeral home this morning, so they had the service outside. It was a beautiful message from the chaplain under a perfectly blue sky. I couldn't help but cry when he recounted some of the touching details about their relationship - how they gardened together, how they always noted the 13th of every month because that was the day they met.

We all lined up to hug Geoff after the service. What do you say to someone who just lost their life partner, companion, best friend...From the sounds of it, she was all those things to him.

This poem was in the handouts, and it sort of struck a chord with me:

God hath not promised
skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways
all our lives through;
God hath not promised
sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow,
peace without pain.

But God hath promised
Strength for the day,
Rest for the labor,
Light for the way
Grace for the trials
Help from above,
Unfailing sympathy
Undying love...

Lesson learned: Life is so short, sometimes shorter than you think it should be.