Some days going to the mailbox sucks. Today was one.

I have a few of my patients who I definitely carry around in my heart more than others; I can't ever explain why that happens but some patients and families just generate a special connection. One of those is a little girl I took care of last winter right around Christmas. She and her family live in a really rural area of Montana and she got scalded when she was "helping" Mom in the kitchen. "G" and her parents spent a couple of weeks with us in the Burn Unit and I actually had to graft both of her arms. While G was here we had a great time with each other because she's a girl who loves pink and purple and who LOVES her kitties. She's gone on to do really well and we "see" each other via our fancy telemedicine capabilities every few months to check upon how she's doing. When I see her, I always get updates from her on her kitties as part of the package. I have a picture of me with G and her parents from just before her discharge from the hospital, and I always tell people that see it that she's one of the cutest burn patients ever. Because she is.

G's parents were amazing while they were here. Once they got over that initial stress of her injury and feeling guilty (even though they hadn't done a thing wrong), they were always a delight. What most impressed me was that even though we sent them back to Montana with G having a few spots that were still healing, they never were troubled by any of it. They just did what needed to be done, they always recognized that she was getting better, and it was all pretty straightforward. Seeing them with G during the telemedicine visits was honestly much like seeing old friends.

Now comes the mailbox part of this ramble. In my box in the burn unit today I found a letter with their return address on it sent to me. I opened it to find a note from G's mom and a copy of a funeral program. G's dad Greg died at the beginning of September when he was out fighting wildfires.

I'm incredibly sad- sad for the loss of someone who I know to be a pretty amazing man. Sad for G's mom and her brothers and her because I recognize they've lost someone wonderful in their lives. And I'm humbled that G's mom thought it important that I know about this- humbled because it reminds me of the ways that I get to connect with people in this crazy place.

If y'all could send up a prayer for Greg, it would mean the world. I know he's keeping an eye on his family from afar. And if you could send one up for G, her Mom, and her two brothers I would appreciate it even more. They were richly blessed for a time, as were all of us who knew him.