To my friend Cheryl who suffered a great loss

Do not suppose, my dearest ones, that when I have left you I would be nowhere and no one. Even when I was with you, you did not see my soul, but knew that it was in this body of mine from what I did. Believe that it is still the same, even though you do not see it ...
preserve my memory by the loyalty and piety of your lives.
Weeping is the most human and universal of all relief measures.

Safely Home

I am home in Heaven, dear ones;
Oh, so happy and so bright!
There is perfect joy and beauty
In this everlasting light.

All the pain and grief is over,
Every restless tossing passed;
I am now at peace forever,
Safely home in Heaven at last.

Did you wonder why I so calmly
Trod the valley of the shade?
Oh! but Jesus' love illumined
Every dark and fearful glade.

And He came Himself to meet me
In that way so hard to tread;
And with Jesus' arm to lean on,
Could I have one doubt or dread?

Then you must not grieve so sorely,
For I love you dearly still;
Try to look beyond earth's shadows,
Pray to trust our Father's Will.

There is work still waiting for you
So you must not idly stand;
Do it now, while life remaineth --
You shall rest in Jesus' land.

When that work is all completed,
He will gently call you Home;
Oh, the rapture of that meeting,
Oh, the joy to see you come!

People in mourning have to come to grips with death before they can live again. Mourning can go on for years and years. It doesn't end after a year: That's a false fantasy. It usually ends when people realize that they can live again, that they can concentrate their energies on their lives as a whole, and not on their hurt, and guilt, and pain.

This has been a very trying week for me, my best friend of 35 years lost her son in an accident this past week. I felt helpless, knowing all to well the pain she was feeling.

Death of a child is the most severe test that you will ever face, and if you can rise above your grief and if you will trust in God, then you will be able to surmount any other difficulty with which you may be faced. I have always said " if I can survive the death of my children, there is nothing on this side of heaven that I can't handle."

Surviving the loss of a child is its own kind of test. To tell our story is a way of affirming the life of the loved one we have lost--the experiences we had together, the favorite family stories. To tell the story is a way of moving the grief along, and so contributes to our own healing.

I love you my friend of 35 years, and I am always here for you as you have been for me so many times before. I understand your pain, your hurt and your grief. I won't wait for you to call me, I am here.

Moral of this Blog: "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are all passed away" Revelation 21:4