Sudden Losses Compounded

The phone rang this morning before 8:00 am. When the phone rings that early, it is usually not good news. The call this morning fit that pattern.

The call was from my wife's sister. She was calling to let us know that their brother's father-in-law died yesterday. At nearly 80 years old, Jerry took his own life.

Jerry's wife of over 50 years died suddenly in May of last year. He never recovered from the loss. In the past couple of days, I have read articles about ministering to widows and widowers. All articles mention a similar pattern. There is a period of deep pain that usually lasts about 6 months. One to three years after the loss, a deep sense of loneliness usually sets in. My guess is that Jerry was struggling with loneliness, even though he had regular contact with family (they lived in the same small town). The articles mentioned that widowers often have a more difficult time than widows - partly because there are fewer widowers that can support other widowers.

We saw Jerry a couple of weeks ago. Physically, he looked fine. However, family members expressed concerns about depression and even suggested seeking professional help. However, Jerry felt he could "ride it out".

Please keep Jerry and his family in your thoughts and prayers.