Tuesday, August 24, 2010

A Meltdown in Target

Last Saturday, while preparing our new ministry office space for our move next Saturday, my wife and I had to go shopping for some shelf paper for the kitchen and cleaning supplies. Being around the lunch hour, we decided to get a bite to eat at the cafe in Target. After eating our hot dogs, Kathy went to get a cart and I went to get a refill on my Diet Coke.

When I came out of the dining area, I noticed Kathy slowly pushing a cart my direction with a very distubed countenance. As she came closer, it became obvious that she was crying. I came to her side and asked what was wrong. I feared that she had fallen or hurt herself in some way. (She had tripped and fallen in a parking lot a few days before, so the look was familiar.) Kathy was too upset to talk.

For a minute or two I waited for her to settle down and tell me what was wrong. When she was able, she told me she had just seen a lady that looked just like Mildred Nervig, one of her mother's dear friends. Of course, it wasn't Mildred, because she had passed away even before Kathy's mom did last October.

This is how grieving typically works. From out of left field, something reminds you of your loss, and in an instant, you can be transported to an emotional place you did not expect.