Lately I've had the feeling that I'm sort of being circled by disaster. It's a feeling you get when bad things (or things we perceive as bad... they're not necessarily evil so much as just part of life) keep happening around you to others, closer and closer, and you just hope it skips you again.

My uncle died. Well, he was old, but still, never a good time for that.

My brother in law has a malignant liposarcoma the size of a full term baby in his gut. It's only gotten noticably big in the last 3-4 weeks. He's in surgery right now.

My boss's brother died in an airplane accident over the weekend.

My fifteen year old daughter came home drunk last night. I don't know if that counts. I think it does in this case, but I don't feel like going in to all that now.

Eventually the bell tolls for every one of us. Hopefully later, not sooner, but eventually it does. We can't live in fear of the sound, yet when you hear it ringing so closely and so often sometimes, it's hard to ignore.

I feel like plugging my ears, la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la... in the stupid hope that if I don't hear it, I don't have to respond. I hope I don't hear it for many, many years. Even more so, I hope my heart is ready when it tolls.