love

The Amazin' Hazen Kennedy died this week of neuroblastoma. I never had the privilege of meeting him, but his parents are friends of my friend Amrita, and I've been a loyal follower of his life via the Amazin' Hazen emails and website over the past two years. I don't know how people survive the loss of a child, particularly this spunky, impish boy from Hell's Kitchen, but they do. It's times like this that I'm really glad I don't believe in God with a capital G, because I'd hate him for not allowing Hazen to get through his first 3 months of kindergarten, for not allowing him to celebrate his 6th birthday, for not allowing him to be a bitchy, unappreciative, self-absorbed teenager.  But I don't believe in that god.  Terrible things randomly happen and beautiful things randomly happen.  And then there is the grace that sometimes is humanity; I am awestruck by the palpable god of love and community that has nurtured and prayed for and been there for this family and that will continue to be there for them in a time of pain and loss I cannot begin to imagine.  All I can do is write a few words and shed a few tears and send whatever cosmic support I can muster to help these parents continue to find love and joy and strength in each other and their city and the people around them.  Oh - and donate to pediatric cancer research.

In the words of Hazen's family

With more love than ever in our open hearts and minds

Take care of each other, my lovelies.

Comments

[Miss Bliss]

oh man...unbelievably heartbreaking. Sending out the love because sometimes that all we can do.

[Rit]

Thanks for the post about dear Hazen. The love, beauty and heartbreak linger here in his Hell's Kitchen neighborhood. Nothing you can know that isn't known, love, love, love.

[pediatric emr]

Aw, i feel sorry for the family of Hazen.

Kevin