Heartbreak

Dimitri near Wissant, July 6, 2014

Life is so unpredictable.

When I opened an email yesterday with a subject line mentioning bad news from our friends in Belgium, it was the last news I could have expected. My friends' 34-year-old para commando grandson/son died during a military training run near Antwerp. He told the trainer he wasn't feeling well, and not long after, his heart just stopped.

Dimitri had served in Afghanistan and impressed us all on our visit to Belgium two years ago. When we heard about the bombings in Brussels earlier this year, we all feared for him and his military friends who have been on patrols ever since. It must have been a stressful time for him, and I know that he was looking forward to coming to Canada in August for a "trip of a lifetime" -- his emails had more exclamation points than I've ever seen in one place. We were considering an overnight rafting trip with him and his travelling buddy.

Our hearts are broken for his parents and grandparents. My thoughts are full of hugs and prayers for Luc, Brigitte, Gaby and Yvonne.

Rest in peace, Dimitri.