Two days ago, I received word that a good friend of mine had passed away. Nearly 80 years gone in the span of a month to stage 4 cancer. Yesterday morning as we awaited my mom’s release from the hospital, I received word an extended relative, Aunt Irene, passed away. At present, I’m chaperoning a group of school friends at a water park. My kids are having a blast with their friends but I have to admit that my energy level is low.

That is a part of N~Leadership. We rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep, — Rom. 12:15.

I rejoice with a measure of certainty I will see all of them again in our heavenly reward. Between my grandmother and Aunt Irene, the world has not known lives where scripture was better known or more clearly lived than by these two ladies. I weep because I know an era has passed and like Joshua crossing the Jordan, we have not gone this way before.

A generation is passing. Though a part of me pines for those golden years where empathic leadership held great sway on much of society, the influence N~leaders wield now will have to be won person by person. Our weapons are the power of persuasion and a well lived life this current generation has not known.

I miss my friends. I pray I will live up to a measure of the good life they demonstrated such that some day the same could said.