Birthdays and Losses

Yesterday was both the birthday of my husband but also it's the birthday of my father who has passed, and is also with Daniel. We celebrated my husband's birthday by buying him a metal detector, so that he, among other things, can locate the tractor keys he lost in the field last year. The kids got him some different colored "Tractor Supply" t-shirts for his off times, and a "Tractor Maniac" sign for one of the outbuildings. My husband is an engineer, yet enjoys his time away from pressure and industry playing farmer. The way food prices and the economy in general are going, this may have to become a more serious endeavor.
We celebrated my Dad's birthday with recalling special memories, prayer and remembrances. I hope he and Daniel had a wonderful day, or however days or units of time, if they are counted in that way, are quantified. Happy Birthday Dad !
We also had some bad news this week. Some time after Daniel's unexpected passing, a wonderful group called SUDC, based in New Jersey, called us and lent support. SUDC stands for Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood, and it apparently, more common than I had realized. One of the people who freely called and checked on us for quite a long time, was Paula Goldblatt, an RN who was deeply involved in SUDC, it's outreach, and its research etc. This week we heard than Paula died on July 5. She did a great deal of very valuable work with grieving families. To read about SUDC,please go to:

http://www.sudc.org/

Paula, you will truly be missed, and I am sorry that I was not at home for your last call to check on us. Your support and encouragement has meant the world to us.