I have been sad since Friday afternoon. My heart does not believe what my mind cannot deny.
I received word Friday afternoon that one of the professor's in my department, Wayne Caron, died. That is all I know. I looked in the obit page this morning to see what I could learn. His name was listed, but the obit read that information was to bo released, or something like that. All I learned was that he was only 51 years old. Way too young to die.
I had several conversations with Wayne in my first year of doctoral studies. He was humorous, engaging, and was an outside the box thinker. I recall how, when we first met to discuss research, that he said he was not primarily interested in my research interests, although that was important, but that he was interested in me. That kind of thing matters.
I can't believe he's not going to be up there in the department Monday when I return. It all seems fake, like some sort of horribly cruelhumor. My heart does not accept this reality.
I am not sure how to say this next line, so I am going to say it like this: This loss has agitated other losses in my life, roused their pain nearer to the surface. Pain travels in packs - never alone. When one pain bites, they all bite.
Making sense of pain while it is biting is more than difficult. I suppose for most, certainly for me, it is not a realistic goal. Trying to make sense of it, perhaps. But actually making sense? Naw. Sometimes it seems like life is this process of collecting lots of things when you are young and losing them all as you age - with the gain of wisdom as the consolation prize. It's so hard to make sense of loss.
Today, I am sad. I am sad for Wayne's family, his friends, his students, his Teaching Assistants, for the Department, and the people he served at the Family Caregiving Center. Wayne's death is a significant loss to many, many people.
My prayer is for everyone touched by his death to grieve in a healthy way and to let the influence Wayne has had in their lives to live within them. The world will be better for it.
3 comments:
I'm very sorry for your loss. Grief changes us. Pain does lots of strange things within us. I lost a good friend last week too.
May God comfort you and all those who were close to your professor. Grace to you.
I'm still in denial in some ways. I still think that the next time I go to the mailboxes, he'll be there with his door open, look up and give me his usual "heeeello!" And we'll chat about something that either he or I are deeply engaged in or stress out about.
I understand the feeling of past hurts biting when a loss occurs in life.
I wish I knew some words of wisdom or some comment to help make it easier, but as you know, there aren't any such words except maybe the "vibrations of heart strings" connected by friendship.
LEN
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