Thank God It's Saturday!

It's been a tough week, and that's not because of scrambling for Christmas, because I'm not. Emotionally I am wrung out.
Erik
Little Erik went to be with the Lord - his service was Monday and it was very emotional for my daughter, Katie, and her friends. School was dismissed at Noon that day to allow students to attend the funeral and many were there. They held each other and cried. They reached out to students they had barely noticed before this event. They held each other up and held each other's hands. They looked one last time upon their friend's body before all of him was gone from this earth forever. They greeted the family with tearful smiles, hugs and handshakes. Everything they did was salted with tears. My heart ached for the family and for these loving and brave students, many of whom were facing death for the first time as adults.
Family
There was emotional strain in our household as well. I don't like airing my dirty laundry, so I won't go into details, but suffice to say, a close family member is an alcoholic who is falling off the wagon hard. If you have had an alcoholic loved one, you know everything that goes along with it. If not, Google alcoholism.
Pray.
I'm just glad it's Saturday morning, calm and quiet. Thank you Lord.

Erik

Our family visited Erik today. Today is Erik's 14th birthday; he is in the hospital after suffering from a brain aneurysm the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Subsequently, he went into kidney failure. He is a sweet young man, and I don't say that just because he's ill. My daughter Katie, soon to be 14, has known Erik since they were toddlers. At a summer outing for preschoolers, I was laying in the grass with the kids looking at clouds when Erik decided the most comfortable place to lay was on my legs. That's what kind of kid he still is - physically affectionate, cheerful, unabashed, blonde-haired, with an impish grin and he plays a mean trumpet. He and Katie are in band together and challenge each other back and forth for first chair.
Erik is making progress. The dialysis is draining his body of excess fluid, the cat-scan looks good and he is responsive, thought not totally awake. The meds and the strain on his body keeps him mostly sedated, although he knows you're there. The strain on the family is great, but their faith in God and the support of family and friends keeps them going.
The kids at school have rallied to his cause; Katie and another classmate have made and passed out countless necklaces with painted bottle caps, with an 'E' on them; the students have also made and are wearing t-shirts that say 'Pray For Erik' (this at a public school - they're not all bad!). Teachers and students have visited, sent hundreds of cards as well as balloons and gifts. Erik is a well-loved and deeply missed young man.
Please pray for Erik and his parents, siblings, and the physicians and staff at Nationwide Children's Hospital.