We will never forget Kaden

As I mentioned before, Dan's sister Laura went with me on Monday to Topeka. I was glad to have someone to go with me since Dan has been sick for over a week.  Last week was kind of rough for me. I had been feeling overwhelmed, unorganized, unprepared, and just plain tired. Everyone tells me to sleep now because I won't sleep at all when she comes home. I beg to differ...I think it will be less stressful and I will get more rest having her home and not running to Topeka all of the time.

Laura and Kevin have been through so much with the loss of their son Kaden (our nephew) 2 1/2 years ago.  They are some of the strongest people we know.  Having Laura with me on Monday helped me dwell less on the negative and realize that this is just temporary...Lorena will be home before we know it. Laura has an inner strength I can't describe and she has the ability to help others who are going through their own difficulties. If you know Laura, you know what I'm talking about!

Kevin and Laura's support group in Marysville had a memorial service for its members on Sunday.  Cindy (Dan's mom), Joelle (a family friend), and I went to the service with Laura.  The group is for families who have lost children.  I really enjoyed the guest speaker.  He had lost his son 18 years ago, but for him, it still felt like it had happened yesterday.  He mentioned that sometimes people think God is the lucky charm that will fix all problems and take away all of our pain, but that this isn't how God works.  Being a Christian doesn't prevent bad things from happening to us or make us more likely to have good things happen to us.  Our Christianity is reflected in how we react to life's roadblocks and potholes.  The speaker went on to say that his son had many difficult days with his illness but had just as many good days with his family and friends.  How is it so easy to curse God on our bad days but fail to thank Him for all the good times?  Laura is a testament to what Christian living is all about.  Life is all about choices.  She could choose to be depressed everyday and dwell on Kaden's death.  However, she chooses to go to work everyday with a smile, laugh with friends, be Crazy Aunt Lola to her neices and nephew, and constantly tease people with her quirky sense of humor.  God's promise is to love us and to rejoice with us during good times and carry us through bad times.  Kaden wants his Mom and Dad to be happy and God wants Kevin and Laura to understand that they will see Kaden again.  And Laura of all people offered me support (when I didn't even know I needed it) and helped me see the positive in Lorena's situation.  Even though we tease her because she is kind of crazy, we should all be a little more like Laura.

Lorena will have lots of cousins and friends, but I wish Kaden was here so Lorena could know him too.  I shouldn't worry though, she will meet him someday.  Baptism cleanses our sin and gives us everlasting life.  Therefore, as children of God, it is God's promise that Kaden and Lorena will meet someday in heaven!

We will never forget Kaden.  We know he is in heaven and we will see him again someday.  But he will probably be running so fast (as usual) that none of us will be able to catch him. :-)

Kaden Lawrence Clark