Circle of Angels

A few days ago my daughter called me in the middle of the afternoon. Although I couldn’t see the tears in her eyes, they were plainly visible in her voice. Especially evident in the way she said, “Daddy.”

A friend of hers had passed away that morning. A good friend. A true friend. One of her special circle. Twenty-three years of age.

My daughter’s boss felt that she was too emotional at the time to drive home, so I went to pick her up. As I drove towards the city, my thoughts turned to her younger days and her circle of friends. The pool parties and special events when they would come together to enjoy that bond they shared. The Saturday nights they would sit in front of their computers in their respective homes messaging one another. Those without a computer were not excluded and the telephone was utilized with each using the conference call capability to include everyone in the conversation and fun.

As they grew older, some lost touch with the group, but new friendships bloomed and the circle widened never waned. Their ears grew cell phones and they were never more than the touch of a button away even when one of the group moved to a distant location. So, I knew that once my daughter was in the car and on her way home, she would be touching those buttons and have the arduous task of notifying some of the others. That terrible task had been mine several times in my life, but the recipients of the dreaded news were always strangers. This would be a different scenario. The recipient was a member of the circle. I held back the tears as I listened to her speak with a comforting voice to a friend in another state knowing the whole time of the pain inside her heart.

I never told you this, my baby girl, that I had a secret name for you and your friends. I have watched you and your friends grow from giggling teenagers to somewhat responsible young ladies. I say that with tongue in cheek knowing the penchant some of you have for the margarita . But all of you have held a place in this cold heart. You are my Circle of Angels.

Speak not of your friend’s untimely demise with the typical pain and sorrow. As I said, God has the plans. Grieve in private, but pronounce the value of her life and friendship openly. Never hold her in the past tense, but think of her in the present. For she is still a cherished member of that special Circle of Angels and there is no break in the loop . Substitutions , player for player, may be an intricate strategy in a sporting event, but in life your loved ones remain with you until your last breath.