David and Emma

Last week two Hope College students died in a plane crash in western Michigan. While not even acquaintances of mine, one was a very close friend of a close friend of mine. In times of tragedy like this, I rely on, and encourage others to as well, this quote by Henry Ellis, "All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on." Intense grief only occurs when you had something special. That requires the holding on. That type of relationship isn't something you want to ever forget. But, at some point, you have to let go. And therein lies the hard part, "a fine mingling." No one really knows how to do this "mingling"; you can't learn it from anyone. I wrote about something very similar here.