Aching Hearts

This week at work I've had three friends lose loved ones to death.  One was his father, one was her grandmother, and one was his infant son.  Additionally, the obits this morning announced the death of the father of a dear friend.  It is important to me that these people know they are loved by me and are in my prayers.

The truth is that nothing will fix the hole left in your heart when you lose someone you love.  The prophets declared that there is a time to mourn, and loving someone means we are filled with sorrow when they leave us.  Additionally, we are commanded to mourn with those that mourn.  The hole in our heart is still going to be there, but the love of others helps fill in the cracks a little bit.

I think sometimes people just drop the ball on sending condolences because it hurts their hearts too much to think about the sadness.  There's something in us that says, "I'm so glad that isn't me," and then we move on.

Having my own heart cracked open a little bit has taught me some things I hope never to forget.