Remembering

Please excuse this short blog.  A very dear friend of mine passed away this week, and we have to travel today.  I came across this Bile verse, which gave comfort and uplifted me in my time of sadness.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also. John 14:3

Grief

"My grief, I find, is not desolation or rebellion at universal law or deity. I find grief to be much simpler and sadder... All the things he loved tear at my heart because he is no longer here on earth to enjoy them. All the things he loved!"
- John Gunther

This is a quote from Death Be Not Proud.  For those who do not know, the story chronicled the struggles of Gunther’s teenaged son, who passed away from cancer in the 1940s.  This week, when visiting an ill friend and hearing of a passing of another, I thought about the quote and how it echoes truth—about death and how it leaves such a void in the heart everytime—a void in the inner being and how we miss them so.  It is a grief that is always there; that always surrounds us in our wake.  We can only find strength to move beyond that saddness in the belief that they find rest and peace when they are no longer with us.   It is definitely that Hope that sustains me when I lose loved ones that are dear to my heart.

Have a good weekend!

Gram

I realized today if my grandmother were still alive, she would see her ninety-first birthday this coming Monday.  This gave me cause to pause and reflect, about what she represents to me today, seven years after her death.  Through her ten year long struggle with Leukemia, she remained vital, always propelling forward, never looking back. “Tiny, but mighty,” I used to say.  She never quit, never gave up.  Today, remembering her life gives me strength on tough days and her example keeps me in good stead.  So on Monday, I’ll stop and pause to thank the woman who meant so much in life, and in death as well.  She remains a guiding beacon and always will as long as I live.

Happy Birthday, Gram!