FOR TODAY POLITICS IS NO WHERE IN MY THOUGHTS

At certain points in our lives we will say to ourselves, why did I do that? How many times have we heard from our parents that we shouldn't have done something because we might have been killed.

This past weekend I came home from work in San Francisco to spend a weekend celebrating with my wife the 14 years of marriage, however that lightheartedness turned to sadness with one phone call.

I have mourned for the loss of my father, when I was 20, my brother just a little over a decade ago. I have also mourned for friends who have lost their lives and I have mourned with a friend whose child didn't have a chance to live a full life and yet I have celebrated the death of Aunt who lived a full 93 years.

Once again, my heart is breaking for life cut short too soon.

I was sitting in church on Sunday, asking God to be kind and merciful to my nephew and his family so that they can see the way through this tragedy with hope of an everlasting life.

I was also wondering why this hurts me so much, was it because it hurts my wife's heart, her brother and sister in laws hearts, the brothers, the sisters, the cousins, the grandparents. Then a few rows a head was a little curly blond hair boy reaching out to the man behind him to shake his hand and its then that I realized why it hurt so much, because for the living there is no tomorrow with the one who has died. No more happy memories to make - only memories to share of life once lived.

That is why I shed tears this week.

"I am the bread of life...no one can come to me, unless the father beckons"

RJ, I say to you in whispers

"And He will raise you up on eagle's wings, bear you on the breath of dawn, make you to shine like the sun and hold you in the palm of His hand."

Until We meet again, Roger James Schafer III (1984 - 2006)