The edges of life

This week I have been at Debra's place for a majority of my time. My girls play with Elizabeth and keep her occupied, and my Bret plays with Eric to keep him busy. I keep busy and keep Debra distracted. I am not alone, of course. The house is always busy with people coming and going, planning and hugging, etc. So much food!! I swear I've gained weight. The movement in the house seems to wear down the edges of the painful grief like a file. Then early this morning, (4:30 a.m.) I got the call that my friend Sarah was in hard labor, and I was her doula. We raced over to the hospital, and little Elijah Karol was born about a half an hour later. Easy. The joy in the room, and the new and changing dynamics of their family, "moving over" to make room for little Eli was great to watch. The two realities of life, each with their own layer of hope, within 5 days of each other. Death and life, hope in both. A lot for me to process. I feel like I need to be quiet about it all, and just sit back and let both moments saturate me with their meaning. It's too simple and too complex both, to say much about...at least, too much for this brain...operating on little sleep and emotional highs and lows. Now we will serve both families; the grieving and the joyful, and it will fill our life with, well, with what life is all about.