how much more?

This weekend, and even into today, have been some of the hardest days of my life.  I have several friends and family members who are struggling through very difficult situations right now.  Nothing that is going on in my life compares, but when I combine them all together onto my shoulders, I've become to feel a bit overwhelmed.  I keep reminding myself that it could always be worse for me, and that I need to continue to be strong for those that need me.  But I honestly just want to break down.  I'm sure my time will come.

What is hurting me the most is that my group of friends is fairly spread out.  I want so bad to be able to run to them and just sit up all night and talk through the situations, but I can't.  I feel like this is a time that our "family of friends" really needs to be together, and draw from each others strength.  I know it will happen with time.

What I am struggling with the most is that a couple in our "group" has suffered the loss of their daughter.  We have all gotten so close over the past few years, that it feels like we have all lost a child.  Someone in our group is hurting and that hurts us all.  We have all experienced a wave of emotions the last few days, and I am so glad that we have been able to draw from each other, and talk our ways through this.

In addition to this tragedy, there are several other things going on.  I won't even get into those right now. I'm lost in emotions that I don't understand right now, and so  I really just needed something to make me smile tonight.  So I pulled out my "Jingle Bells" cross stitch pattern and worked on it a bit.  It dawned on me that my snowman needed a face, and so I finished out the night with giving him a smile.  He's just so darn cute that it was the little extra "warm fuzzy" that I needed tonight.  Here is a picture of his grin:

R.I.P. Violet Rose.  And may your mom and dad find strength in their wonderful memories of you.