Last night my boss called. She prefaced her call by saying, "I need to talk to you about something bad." As I had been out of the office that day teaching my mind went to our jobs and security but that was not to be the "bad news."

Instead she told me that one of the nurses I worked with for a number of years had been "found down" (a medical term for someone who is discovered collapsed and usually with severe neurological impairment). She had not shown up for work and her Mom went to her appt and found her in bed with agonal breathing. The EMS resuscitated her and she is in her ICU on a vent with severe hypoxic brain damage.

I am hurting on so many levels. For Lisa and the loss of her compassion in the world, for her mother who had to experience finding her and now must live through that and whatever the coming days and months bring, for Terri my boss who just had a weekend with Lisa shopping at the beach but now must live through this on top of losing her husband last May, for her coworkers who must mourn while they efficiently and compassionately care for her and her family.

For me, who must find the right words to pray for understanding. It has been a season of losses this year. Incredible sadness but also terrific moments of love and compassion.

For those of you whose lives are touched with either sadness or great happiness, would you consider going to the gratefulness.org site linked below and lighting a candle in contemplation? Just the thought brings me peace.