died too young

yesterday i attended a funeral for my cousin’s son, who lost his life to cancer at age 21. it was so painful and sad to hear friends and family share stories of a healthy and handsome young man just coming into himself as an adult, who is no longer with his family, and his family no longer with him. this zinnia bud is from the same stem as yesterday’s frozen flower. an early frost cut its life short. it looks to me as though the leaves were trying to protect the bud. my cousin would have done the same, and more. would have done anything to change the ending of her boy’s story.

zinnia bud nipped by frost