a little rain must fall

Last year, I thought I understood loss.

I lost one friend in a terrible car accident that left his fiance badly injured and broken-hearted.

Shortly before that, my best friend from high school lost her husband in a severe and tragic way. She was six months pregnant at the time.

I thought that was the hardest thing I would ever have to do.

Until this past week.

Baby Noah was born on December 14, 2006. A beautiful little boy, he looked just like his daddy - blonde-haired and blue-eyed. he was the apple of his mother's eye, a truly animated and charismatic baby.

These past few days, he had been feeling a little sick, but no one thought it could be anything too serious. However, on Monday morning, his grandmother took him to the pediatricians. The doctors there had him airlifted immediately to Children's Hospital in Birmingham.

It was later found out that he had a tumor on his liver and extensive internal bleeding. Surgeons did the best they could to stop the bleeding, but there was nothing they could do. Noah died on Tuesday afternoon in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of Children's Hospital.

He was just 7 months old.

I thought the hardest thing I would ever have to do would be to help my best friend say good-bye to her husband.

Now, tomorrow afternoon, I will be there as she lays her only baby boy to rest.

The only comfort is in knowing that he will finally be able to rest in his daddy's arms.

This is so hard for me to understand. Why does life work in such a terrible, terrible way? Why would life deal her such a cruel twist of fate?

There are not words to express the way she must be feeling. There is nothing I can offer to her. I have nothing inside left to feel.

Go home and tell your mother and father that you love them so very much...squeeze your husband or wife on the arm, appreciate that they are there.

And if you have children...hug them and hold them and love on them like you will never let them go.

You never know when the opportunity to do just that could be torn right out of your grasp.