I have been struggling recently to blog something,anything. I would sit down at my computer but no words would come; nothing seemed appropriate.
I attended several funerals last week. My friends have been very heavy on my heart and I just wasn’t in the frame of mind to post something positive or upbeat and certainly not the shopping and food posts that I had lined up.
It all seemed so frivolous.
I know that death and funerals are not the most popular blog topics. I have never used this forum to ask for prayers. Please allow me to push through the pain and post this.
The services that I attended were so beautiful and meaningful. I will not soon forget them. I have been trying to make sense of it all.
Why do some people have to leave this earth so soon? A son. A wife. A daughter. It won’t ever make sense to me. I know that we just have to accept it and try to move on. This is when I turn to prayer and scripture for guidance.
Everyone grieves differently. It is so hard to know exactly what to say. I know from personal experience that sometimes it is best just to let them grieve. They are going to be mad at God and everyone else that seemingly takes their family members for granted. I would do anything to hear my Daddy’s voice one more time or to reassure my sister Liz that her kids are being well taken care of.
As I sat with my husband at one of the memorial services on Friday, he reached over to hold my hand. We listened as we heard our friend describe the love he had for his wife who had died from a long battle with ovarian cancer. He was going to miss looking into her deep blue eyes the most. My husband then squeezed my hand a little tighter. We listened as their son played the guitar. He proudly strummed the notes for his mother at her funeral. He is about our son’s age. It was if he was sending the songs directly to heaven. My husband turned to look me in the eyes. We both knew what was in our hearts. We were both praying for our friends. We held hands a little tighter.
We have seen our share of grief early on when we were first married. My Daddy died of cancer in 1996 and his Daddy died of Lou Gehrig’s disease a year later. Nine months later we welcomed our first child into the world wishing that our son’s grandfathers could be there to see him grow up.
Losing loved ones never gets any easier but it certainly gives you a renewed perspective in how best to view everyday experiences; a smile somehow seems brighter, a kiss lingers a little longer and life seems to become much more meaningful.
I pray for my friends that have lost their loved ones. I pray for those that are going through struggles that are only known to them. I pray that our society will become more tolerant of those that are different from them.
In Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen.
Lovely! Thank you for sharing. Good for you for using your blog to help you process and grieve. I know blogs are often fun, light hearted, humorous pieces of happiness from our everyday lives…but I find the blog posts that linger with me longest are the ones that allow me into the authors inner life!
Sending blessings as you go through your time of sorrow and grief.
Thank you Patty. This was a post I couldn’t get out of my head and needed to write before I could move on. Take care.
Thank you Laura for sharing that with us. Yes, websites such as yours are always nice to go to and get a laugh, or learn somehing new. I commend you for writing about your sorrows because nobody is immune to disease and death. Writing about it reminds us that we must reflect on how lucky we are to be healthy and to have our loved ones and that we are here to enjoy life’s abundances. That is something nobody should ever take for granted. But being human, for an instant we forget here and there. So, reading about what you have had to go through gently has reminded me to reflect on how grateful and fortunate I am:)
Thank you Mary. Life is full of ups and downs and I know you are a half full kind of girl too!
Friends make it so much easier in the bumps along the way. You are a very special friend Mary.
Hugs and kisses to you.
My sweet, sweet friend, your timing is perfect….I needed this more than you know, as today marks the 2nd anniversary of losing my Daddy. I remember you being there for me during that time that he was in the hospital, and I will always treasure your comforting words. Thank you for just being you….we need posts like this every now and then; it’s part of the life we live. Love you, Laura! : )
Oh Angie, I can’t believe it’s been 2 years already. Hugs and kisses to you. Your Daddy was so special, just like his daughter! Miss you sweetie pie!
Beautifully said. So sorry to hear about the losses you and your friends have endured this week.
Thank you so much Lisa. I am typically the most positive person but three different friends all at once was just overwhelming. My friends need lots of prayers to get them through…Take care.
My brother-in-law’s funeral was this week and I wished I knew the right words to day to my sister. It also brought back so clearly Tom’s death only 4 yrs ago. No matter what the circumstances, the loss is right there waiting to rear it’s ugly head. Your message was so beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
I am sorry to hear about your brother in law, Pat. Much love to you.