I was surprised to see a facebook event invite from a uni friend to a memorial service for his wife. With his dark sense of humour, and their relative youth, I thought this was just an amusing way to get in touch.
It was not.
Life was, in this case, demonstrated as far more fragile than our Western expectations would suggest.
And so I spent much of Saturday heading to the Central Coast and back to provide what support a long-absent friend can in a situation like that. I learnt more of a life now over, and we thought together about how short life can be, and the impact that some kindness and encouragement can have on the life of teenagers in particular (my friend’s late wife was a teacher, and a big fan of seahorses, hence the post title).
The encouragement of a Christian worldview was not lost on many of the people assembled. We grieve expecting that we will see our friend again one day.
What I noticed most of all, regrettably, was how fast I returned to the flood of next-actions and to-do-list items, without making much change in the way I engage with people.
If you’re reading this: remember to make the most of the time you have with the people around you. Time flies!
just sayin hi
CS