THE FRAGILITY OF LIFE

I got this little ceramic puppy for my birthday. I’m guessing it was my 5th or 6th. My friend Denise gave it to me. Even though I was really young, I remember she didn’t wrap it in wrapping paper like you are supposed to do for a birthday gift. There was a Kleenex around the bed and the dog sat on top of it. She simply handed it to me this way.

What a treasure!  As a little girl that age, I didn’t usually get my hands on something so fragile. I was in heaven to have such a cute, tiny puppy made with a material that was designed for a more mature kid.  I did drop the bed and break it, though, just like they said I would. Dad glued the pieces back together. You can see the cracks on the bottom if you look closely. The bed has never been the same since then.

When we were in college, Denise’s parents were both killed in a car accident. We had moved to another town so I wasn’t in touch with her any more at that point.  In fact, to this day, I haven’t found her—even with the help of the internet. But I think of Denise and her sister, Dawn, from time to time and I wonder how they are doing. I can’t imagine the magnitude of their loss, especially since they were so young when their mom and dad perished.

After I heard the news of the accident, my little puppy and his broken bed began to symbolize the fragility of life for me. It makes me sad to look at it and think about Denise and her family's brokenness. Yet somehow, the puppy’s sleeping tranquility in the midst of it all gives me a sense of hope. It reminds me of the story of Jesus sleeping in the boat during the great storm.

We do not know what today will bring and we are so very, very vulnerable. Yet, I try to rest like my puppy, with faith in my savior and a peace that passes all understanding.