This morning's gospel in church was about the woman with the issue of blood. While this isn't one of my favorite tales, the emphasis placed on it by our rector was the need to thank God for all of his gifts given to us, as healing was given to the woman in the story.
My mind was wandering that particular mental corridor this week. My younger son lost a dear friend, mentor, & coach Wednesday night. On Thursday hubby & I visited with the man's family to pay our respects. We & several other parents of his former swimmers remembered with fond laughter events he was a huge part of. There was brief, comical speculation on his meeting with St. Peter, followed by much laughter at memories shared of travels to swim meets, daily life contacts, & all the other sorts of "ordinary" things that comprise a life. The mother of the deceased was very composed & proud of the fact that so many young people came by, their lives touched and in some way changed by their contact with her son; "you can't ask for better than that from your children," she told me (rightly!).
Looking back on my nearly 20 year old son's life, swimming has admittedly been the lion's share of it. Had he not begun swimming lessons in first grade & been recommended by his instructor to try the team, I cannot imagine how his life would be different, but I can say with absolute certainty that it would not be as satisfying for him as it has become. As a direct result of the influence of the recently deceased coach, he is pursuing a career in education which will include coaching the next generation of swimmers & which has limitless potential as he matures to either become a school administrator or a collegiate level coach.
Thank you God for the gift of Don Haas (1953-2009).
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