Life and Death and Family

I haven't posted in a while. Many of you know why. For the rest of you, here's the sequence of events:
Tuesday, September 18: Cheryl's Dad, Sam, has total knee replacement surgery in Lansing. Her Mom, Jane, doesn't feel well, so she stays at our house while Cheryl goes to Lansing to be with her Dad.
Wednesday, September 19: Cheryl's sister-in-law, Anne, calls to tell us that Cheryl's brother, Tim, who has been battling cancer for the past two years, isn't expected to live much longer.
Thursday, September 20: Cheryl and I and a still less-than-healthy Jane travel to Salisbury, MD to be with Tim, leaving Sam in a physical rehab facility in Lansing. We arrive two hours after Tim dies.
Friday, September 21: Jane develops an irregular heart beat and is taken by ambulance to Peninsual Regional Medical Center in Salisbury.
Saturday, September 22-Monday, September 24: The family plans Tim's funeral while taking turns sitting with Jane at the hospital. She improves markedly during the day on Sunday, but takes a turn for the worse that night.
Tuesday, September 25: Tim's funeral is just what he wanted--a time of rejoicing and celebration. We tell silly stories about Tim, watch a moving video of his life, celebrate his faith, and generally leave uplifted. Jane's condition prevents her from leaving the hospital to attend the funeral.
Wednesday, September 26: I return home, leaving Cheryl behind to attend to Jane, who is still in the hospital. Upon arriving home, I go immediately to Lansing to visit with Sam, who has been separated from all family during Tim's death and funeral.
Friday, September 28: Cheryl has decided to get an air ambulance to bring Jane back to Michigan. The doctors tell her that she would not survive the flight. In fact, they tell her that her Mom is not going to make it. I return to Lansing to tell Sam his wife is dying.
Saturday, September 29: I pick up Sam from the rehab facility at 4 a.m. and drive him to Detroit, where we board a plane for Balitmore. We rent a car for the two-hour drive to Salisbury. We arrive at the hospital about 15 minutes before Jane dies.
Sunday, October 1: Cheryl and Sam return to Michigan.
Monday, October 2: I return to Michigan. Family members, who had just returned home following Tim's funeral, make plans to converge in Lansing.
Saturday, October 6: Jane's funeral is a fitting tribute to her 82 years of love and service.
Sunday, October 7: Cheryl and Sam and I return home. Sam will be with us until his rehabilitation is far enough along that he can live on his own.

I don't share this chronology with you so you will pity us. Of course it's been hard. And I'm sure there are still lots more hard times to come. The prayers of many, many people have sustained us. Thank you, and please don't stop praying. However, I want to tell you how proud I am to be a part of this family. We pulled together, did what needed to be done, loved each other and supported each other. We've shed a lot of tears, but shared even more laughter. We found value in being together, and in accepting the pain as a necessary consequence of the closeness we've enjoyed for so long. Our faith is strong and our focus is on the journey ahead. God is good and after this season of sorrow, life will be good again.