Heart Stopping – Heart Breaking

I don’t know about you, but that sure looks like a heart to me.  When I saw it, it took my breath away. 

On Sunday, I got some heart-breaking news.  A dear friend to me, her name is Mary, had a brain aneurysm and was going to be taken off life support that afternoon.  I just couldn’t believe it.  She was one of the most happy, vibrant, and healthy people I knew.  Mary was only 44 years old!  She was my hair dresser, but also a friend.  I only saw her every 8 weeks or so, but when I did, we caught right up where we left off.  She always caught me up on what was going on with her 2 children (busy teenagers), her love life, and her family.  She always wanted to know what was new with our kids and how my parents were doing (she had never even met my parents).  She was considerate, kind, and thoughtful.  Everytime we brought our kids in for haircuts, she always had thin mints or Snackwell cookies for them to eat.  She was just a lovely person…inside and out.  Her loss will affect her large family of 7 brothers and sisters as well as her children.  I will miss her terribly.  Even I am struggling to comprehend God’s plan in all this.  Mary was able to continue to give of herself, by donating her organs.  Someday I am hoping to hear the stories of precious loved ones who were saved by her donation.

As I was leaving her Wake on Wednesday night, I remembered this photo that I took on Saturday and thought, if Mary had something to do with that, I wouldn’t be surprised.  She would want everyone to know that she was OK.  Whenever I look at this photo now, I will think of Mary and say a prayer for those of us who loved her and whose lives will be forever changed.