Good-night! good-night! as we so oft have said
Beneath this roof at midnight, in the days
That are no more, and shall no more return.
Thou hast but taken up thy lamp and gone to bed;
I stay a little longer, as one stays
To cover up the embers that still burn.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Our Mississippi hearts are grieving for our Indiana loved ones today. Today and tomorrow, a good, kind, giving, generous family is saying goodbye to a beloved husband, a devoted father. Our loved ones are saying goodbye to a dear, treasured friend. Our hometown is grieving the injustice of a life taken far too soon. This world sighs heavily at the profound loss.

Words are inadequate to convey our concern, to soothe broken hearts. The grief is too heavy; the emptiness, too vast. Sweet Karen, we send you love and wish you comfort.

Do I believe that everything happens as it is supposed to? Most definitely. But when such a seemingly senseless tragedy occurs, it shakes even the strongest of faiths.

Please know, dear friends and family, that our hearts are with you today, tomorrow, for many, many days to come. We know this is just the beginning of a long and arduous journey. We are holding you tightly in our thoughts and in our prayers. If we could diminish the pain, we would. But we are powerless in this great, wide universe to do anything but wrap you in love.

Rest in peace, Duffy. Thank you for the gift you were to this earth.