A New Season

The cycles of life, and of fate, are interesting beyond belief.

My brother died in January, 2007. Andy Kohn was a gentle soul, haunted by voices no one else could hear, slowed by medicines to harness those voices, trying his best to earn a living and maintain his independence. He was an overcomer, until the day the medicines and financial stresses and challenges of modern life all intertwined to finally break his body down. He passed in his sleep, a victim of the medicinal cocktails he took to combat schizophrenia. I believe he simply needed the peace after a lifetime of struggle. Having lost both parents, my sisters and I now had to face life without our brother. I often thought, "Hasn't our family suffered enough loss?"

Meanwhile, across the country and outside our knowledge, Keith Kohn was facing loss as well. Facing his own cancer and the failing health of his mother, Keith explored his family roots and waited for the right time to reach out. Out of respect for his mother, he waited until her passing to call my sister and introduce himself.


I can't help but believe that in the time of grief in both halves of this family, a new family is being born. It is comforting to know that in times of loss, the seeds of new life are sown. As I reflected upon these changes in the past few days, I recall some ancient words that capture this timing well. Keith's other blog had several lyrical references, so I thought I would continue in that tradition and point to an ancient (the 60's!) song from the Byrds based on an even older passage in Ecclesiastes.


It's a new time, a new season in our lives. This truly is a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.


Welcome to the family. My brother lives.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNopQq5lWqQ

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.