Daniel Yoder, 33, passed away on April 4 from injuries sustained in a logging accident. The tragedy leaves Gloria, who pens the weekly Amish Cook column, to raise six children. Gloria’s church community, family, and friends and her deep faith will help see her thought, but it will be difficult.
I wish I had some sage words to impart, but sometimes events leave us speechless, grasping for some sort of meaning, and this is one of them. The future unfolds at our peril. We don’t know what tomorrow – or this afternoon – holds. So the best we can do is try, one unsteady step at a time, to walk forward and enjoy our moments.
I can’t say that I knew Daniel incredibly well, but we had met on several occasions, and each time he struck me as a super father and husband who put his family front and center. It seems unfair that who lives and who doesn’t is so random, but those with deep faith view it as part of a larger plan and that Daniel, Gloria, and their children will be reunited again someday.
Gloria and her children will put their lives back together, slowly, and move forward, but they’ll never forget, not for a second, their beloved Daniel.
The takeaway from last week is that life can change in a split of a second. So savor every second. That’s difficult to do, especially if you are going through tough times, but tough times are still better than no times.
And challenging times are often the fertilizer that helps seed and sprout a better tomorrow.
You can contribute to the GoFundMe account for Gloria, set up by her family. A link to the fund is at Amish365.com under “Remembering Daniel Yoder” (the fund is administered by Gloria’s family and all funds go to Gloria), or you can mail cards, notes of encouragement, or checks directly to: Gloria Yoder, 10510 East 350th Ave., Flat Rock, IL 62427.
The column will resume its regular recipe format next week. I’ve been in touch with Gloria and she may resume the column next week, but I told her to take the time she needs so there may be recipes or reruns the next week or so, but I do anticipate Gloria returning in the near future.
