In Threes

My mother always used to say, and I think she still believes, that deaths occur in threes - i.e. that you often hear about people you know passing away in sets of three at a time.  I know it's illogical, but it just happened.

After two of my wife's uncles died in the last few months, a speech therapist at my work died suddenly in her sleep last weekend.  Jean Loeffelhardt was a real champion of kids with autism, speech and language problems, and their families and devoted her life to them:

JEAN LOEFFELHARDT
July 10, 1953 - February 4, 2011

http://www.autism.net/about-us/our-announcements/1802-jean-loeffelhardt.html

BTW I don't work for the Geneva Centre, I just referenced them. 

I don't know for sure, but "dying in her sleep" probably means her heart gave out on her, which I can relate to after some chest pains and tests last year (nothing found though).

So is this blog getting morbid or what? 

Or am I? 

More death around me can't be because I'm getting old, right?  40's not old, right?

The unexpected death of someone I know always reminds me of the verses from John Donne, an English Catholic poet of the late 1500's:

No man is an island,

Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manner of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.

Here's John's profile pic:

                       

Remembering all this accomplishment though reminds me that I did have some goals in mind when I started this blog - and how am I doing at them?  No karate, no tablet, and no new videotape transferred. 

Is that bad?

Ah, it's only February.  I'm gonna focus on raising money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation this month. 

For Jean.