Some extraordinarily beautiful and wise posts on my piece about the death of Joe Biden’s wife and baby daughter. One from Rich W.

At age 16 I lost the sight in my left eye. Some kid was playing around with a belt and hit me in the eye, brusing and eventually detaching the retina. My reaction was to ask why, to wonder if God was punishing me for some reason I didn’t know about. All my plans to join the Navy and see the world, to fully become a man, were gone. It felt like my life was a bushel basket that had been turned upside down. I can truly relate to Sen. Biden’s feeling of wanting to just cut and run.

At 18 I had my hand on my Father’s .38 Colt pistol and put it to my right temple, ready to blow my brains out.
What stopped me was the rational/irrational thought that because (I thought) I’d screwed up my life so badly so far, I’d probably mess up this attempt and be left like a vegetable, leaving my Mom with a real mess to handle, which I didn’t want and put the pistol away.
Now I had to start all over. At first I denied it, thought that my sight might return. Then I pleaded with God, give me back my sight and I’ll be a model Christian. When that didn’t happen I kept asking “Why me?”
At age 21 I got my answer, it was “Why not you.” When I finally accepted the fact my sight was gone, never to return, I got the greatest lesson of my life, in 3 words. Life Goes On. I found that I could beat my head on that inner brick wall all I wanted and all I’d get was a bloody head. God knew better than me why it happened. It happened. Now go on with life.
It’s no Christian bromide to say there’s a lesson in every tradegy. There’s gift of learning in each major event that occurs in our life. Life goes on, as it will and we must simply deal he cards we’re dealt. Get the gift and go on. I wish you a great gift.