Grief

This week has been really hard. It began on Monday when I received news that one of my friends at LTS's dad had died Sunday night. Such sadness for her and her family as they grieve his loss. Tuesday brought grief of another kind. Something happened at school on Tuesday that has caused me and many others a great deal of distress all week. Tonight I came to realise that in many ways it is a deep grief that I am feeling. I am saddened by the fact that one or more students may not return in January because of this situation. I am deeply saddened that some people's lives may never be the same. I worry about this community and I hope and pray this Christmas break will help us to find rest and rejuvenation that we so deeply need. It has been a very hard semester for most in the community, faculty and students alike. This week I also had to confront someone who I have a lot of respect and admiration for because I believed they shared information that was not appropriate with a group of people. Every day this week has brought more sorrow and I pray for an end to the struggles this community faces. Last night we had our seminary Christmas party and it was a wonderful evening a really positive time in the midst of dark times. And yet at one point in the evening I looked around and felt grief because I knew there were people missing who really should have been there. In this time of waiting, Advent, I wait and pray for reconciliation in this community.