True, Amos and Ranger1. Today after church it became clear that several of us women were lingering in the sanctuary; within minutes we were holding each other and weeping out our sorrows- one's marriage is breaking apart, another just learned of the death of a friend at age 42 and another friend who is dying; another's sister just lost her husband suddenly; I was weepy over Byron- we just held each other and rocked and wept and gave each other love.

After lunch I visited an elder woman (age 89) from my church; she was hospitalized for pneumonia, was released too early, got herself up and about way too soon, fell and broke her elbow, and is due back for surgery this week. She is prone to moaning about her hard life. I don't know her well so she spent most of the visit talking about her husband, who died 10 years ago, and soon she was saying, "It's been a good life. A good life."

I realized that the impulse to visit her was serving us both- getting both outside our individual sorrows. I didn't tell her what I thought would make her better, I just sat with her for awhile.

I feel blessed after being with her. Blessed by the community of loving souls in my village and here on the Mudcat.

Allison