Emmanuel Mennonite

A Different Kind of Christmas

Unfortunately though, those two days didn’t turn out to be the celebration that we had planned, as even before we had figured out how to get out of our snowbound driveway, Gary’s older brother called to tell us, “the nurse just called to say that Mom passed away.”

It was not altogether unexpected since Mom had been in declining health for some time--declining more rapidly over the last couple of weeks, so we always seemed to be on alert whenever the phone would ring—yet death whenever it comes seems unexpected and brings with it sudden grief for those who are left behind. We had already been anticipating this first Christmas without Dad (since his passing on April 16 of this year), and now Mom is also no longer with us.

So in these days I especially appreciate the Christmas words of “comfort and joy” and hold on to the hope that we have of eternal life through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Dorothy Yamasaki, entrusted into the hands of God, December 25, 2008.