As you know, Early Voting begins on Friday, October 20, and runs until Saturday, November 5. This is A VERY IMPORTANT Election, with Federal, State, and County offices on the Ballot, and with several In-Person voting locations available. BE SURE TO VOTE!!

Today I want to follow up on a Column I wrote several years ago about dealing courageously with a broken heart. All of us at some time in our lives have been on the mountaintop of hope, and all of us have been in the valley of despair. In a Carnegie Class I taught in Roanoke Rapids a few years ago, Joe Evans began his remarks by saying, "If I live to be a hundred years or more, I know I will never, EVER meet anyone with the courage of my little 10-year-old son." Joe then told how his son had suffered from an incurable illness and how, during his last days on this earth, the pain he experienced was almost unbearable. The medication he was receiving to ease the pain was having little or no effect.

"But", said Joe, "My little boy never complained. Instead, he asked his mother and me to try not to cry because that would further upset his little six-year-old sister, who was already grieving over the certainty of losing her big brother." then, with tears streaming down his face, Joe told about what happened the night his son died. He said it was 3 o'clock in the morning and he and his wife were seated on a couch in the corner of their son's hospital room when they heard him call out, "Mommy, Daddy!" Joe said they immediately rushed to his bedside as he held out his frail hands and said, just before he died, "Mommy and Daddy, thank you for loving me, and try not to cry. We'll meet again in Heaven."

As I listened to Joe's presentation, I thought about the obvious wonderful example of LIVING those parents had instilled in their son, to have him display such courage and compassion in his final days on this earth. So, how do we deal with a broken heart? Marc and Angel, in their "Practical Tips for Living" described heartbreak as a dull, subdued sensation, like the muffled sound of a distant gunshot that comes with the paralyzing discomfort of realizing that someone whom we loved has been taken from us.

Deep heartbreak is like standing in a forest of darkness where we can't see any light that can lead us home. But if we wait for the sun to rise again, which it will, and listen when others assure us that they themselves have stood in that same dark place but have since moved forward with their lives, we can reflect and take comfort in the words of that beautiful old Hymn, "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, because He lives, all fear is gone, because I know Who holds the future, and life is worth the living JUST BECAUSE HE LIVES!"

Now to close with a little humor: Three drunken guys entered a taxi after a heavy night of drinking. Immediately realizing that the men were heavily intoxicated, the driver quickly thought of a plan to get rid of them. He started the engine, let it run for a couple of minutes, then turned it off and said, "We have reached our destination." "Alright, Pal," said the first guy as he gave him the money. The second guy thanked him enthusiastically. The third guy slapped him across the face. "What was that for?", yelled the surprised driver, thinking he was caught. "Next time don't go so fast! You nearly killed us!"

HAVE A WONDROUS DAY!