by Greg Lincoln
I remember listening to a song a few years ago where the singer talked that about all the hardships that he was facing in life. He sang about losing his job, his family turning against him, his failing health, and then he sang about losing his daughter.
At the time when I first heard the song, I thought about that last part and the feeling that I felt that something like that would never happen to us, here in our family. It only happened to other people. What is it called when we think that we are exempt from such tragedies?
This journey of grief is like traveling on a long trek. Sometimes during this journey we stop for a while. During these stops we are distracted from our grief by something that makes us feel better, happy, and we even laugh. But these stops do not last, they are not forever. We continue on the road of grief until we come to the next stop where another brief respite awaits us. Does that make sense? How long you stay at these rest stops is different, and the road is always there waiting for you to get back on it.
I have met friends who have told me how long they have been on their own roads of grief and for some it has been years, decades. It breaks our hearts to think that you have to face this kind of pain, for we know it all too well, and for so very long.
As we age, losing someone we know seems to become more common. We are only given one life on this earth, and it is up to us, our own selves, to live it as fully and as lovingly, wondrously, gloriously, with humble graciousness, and kindness as we possibly can.
Not a day goes by, not a single hour or minute, when we are not thinking of our beloved one. How brave you are! How amazing is the power of your love that still flows through us. It helps us to think of others, to do good things for them. You give us courage to face our fears.
Fear and courage go hand in hand.
Today was a good day. We were together with our friends, our family. We enjoyed your company so very much. Thank you for the gifts you have blessed us with, the moosemeat for Kelly and her delicious cooking, the time you took to stop and say hi, to chat. Let us keep praying for those who are sad, alone, sick or in need of comfort. If you think about it, we may be the only ones praying for them.
