Here is another guest post by my wife, Faye Richardson Mayberry:
After the shock of Ashton’s death wore off, I went into a selfish mode thinking that everyone needed to know about this terrible thing that happened to our family. Everyone needed to know how sad we were and be sad with us. Everyone needed to contact us to tell us how sorry they were. Everyone needed to come visit us. Everyone needed to send us a sympathy card. Everyone needed to give me a hug. Everyone needed to cry with us. Everyone needed to say or do something. And then… they did. So many people came to our home and cried with us. We received so many cards in the mail, so many hugs were given to me in church and at Walmart. So many of my friends texted me, messaged me on Facebook, and called on the phone. We received many gifts and books and sweet letters. Yes, all that happened, but something else happened, too, that humbled me. We started hearing about the tragedies that have happened to other people. So many have had a loved one who has also taken their own life. So many have had a child, spouse or parent pass away. So many have felt the sorrow and grief that we feel. So many are hurting. We are not alone. As this has all happened, I have been able to sit back and look at the big picture of one aspect of our life here on earth.
Every family has their turn.
Every family has their turn and we rally around that family when their turn comes. We bring them food. We write and send sympathy cards. We hug them and say sorry at church and at Walmart. We pray for them to be comforted. We give them flowers, gifts and books that might bring comfort.
Well… we have had our turn. Our turn to be blessed by others kind words and acts of service. We’ve had our turn to have flowers planted anonymously in our planters while we were at the funeral. Coming home to that melted my heart. We’ve had our turn to have food brought over – more than we could ever eat, but were able to share with those who came to visit. We´ve had our turn to have people visit us one right after the other like it was orchestrated that way. We’ve had our turn to receive 5 to 10 sympathy cards a day in the mail. We´ve had our turn to find flowers, cards, boxes of kleenex, paper products and food sitting on our doorstep when returning home. We’ve had our turn to have family members put together videos, scrapbooks and slide shows of Ashton that took so much time and effort. I did not have the brain power to do any of that. We’ve had our turn to receive so many, ¨How are you doing today?¨ or ” I’m thinking of you” texts and Facebook messages from family and friends. We’ve had our turn to have our front door “heart attacked” on Valentines Day. We’ve had our turn to receive two, three and four gifts or cards from the same person who wants to be sure we know they love us and are grieving right along with us. I can’t even begin to name everything that has been done for us.
We have had our turn to be on the receiving end of so much love we could never contain it all! WE FEEL LOVED and we need to feel that love so badly. Our Heavenly Father has told us that he will not leave us comfortless. This is living proof that he uses his earth angels to do His work here on the earth. How can I ever show my gratitude to my Heavenly Father for all that has been done for us and continues to be done? I will be first in line when another family gets their turn. I will.
It has been overwhelming to think about all that has been done for us. Overwhelming! But, then again, it was our turn. We’ve had our turn.
Note: I wrote this while we were away for a week. We had no cell service or internet. When we got back there were 3 messages on our answering machine from people who wanted to come visit us to see how we were doing or wanted to bring us something. We also came home to emails of comfort and hope. Our turn continues and the love keeps pouring in. We are so blessed.
We also came home to the news that our neighbor’s mother died. That family is having their turn. We are going to visit them and cry with them this morning.