Thursday, November 27, 2008
My dear sister and family-
I will not even pretend to understand what level of tribulation this very unfortunate event has brought to you. On this Thanksgiving Day I would like to say that I am thankful to see that you and Rodney are strong and willful enough to be enduring, which is a truly admirable and healthful thing. I love you very much and I sincerely apologize for being distant in this difficult time. Your family has, however been in my thoughts and prayers and dreams, too for that matter- Rodney showed up in my dream last night moderately angry with me, and obviously with good reason. Please accept my apologies and know that my hesitation does not accurately reflect the extent to which my heart goes out to you. When things like this happen, seemingly for no reason, I believe that it is especially difficult to absorb and to understand. There is an old book called Candide that was written by a guy named Voltaire which became famous for its message of the value of buoyancy and of the diffuculty of having that ability to recover. The famous quote from this very wise book goes something like, "All things are for the best in this best of all possible worlds," and however chiche it may sound, there is something to be said for the notion that, despite the many and sometimes unfathomable discouragements that we encounter in our lives, these things happen in order for us to become the people whom we eventually will become.
I love you Kaye, Rodney and Dalton, and I will continue to pray for you.
