Thinking of Mom and others we lost in 2013. Yesterday, my sister came from Ohio to visit for a while. She gave me this poem. I think it's perfect.
What is Dying?
The ship sails and I stand watching
till she fades on the horizon,
and someone at my side says,
"She is gone."
Gone where?
Gone from my sight, that is all;
she is just as large as when I saw her.
The diminished size and total loss of sight
is in me, not in her,
and just in that moment,
when someone at my side says,
"She is gone,"
there are others who are watching her coming,
and other voices take up a glad shout,
"There she comes!"
And that is dying.
~Anonymous
It brings me happiness to think that those who passed before Mom were there waiting for her and when she took her last breath, they all shouted in unison, "There she comes!" It had to be a large crowd ~ she was loved by many.
Perhaps some of you out there who have lost a loved one this past year, will feel a smidgen better after reading this poem. Those of us left behind miss our loved ones SO much. I never really stopped to think about the happiness those waiting on the other side feel when they see a loved one coming back to them.
5 comments:
Thanks so much for sharing this. I hadn't stopped and thought of the joy on the other side either. This poem is quite lovely. Oma Linda
My mom is still here, Audrey, as you know, but she is ready to join her family. She's the last of them, losing her only surviving sibling last Sept. She's very much looking forward to seeing her parents, siblings and especially, my dad...maybe not so much her mother-in-law, though!! LOL
I pray for what ever God wills for her and if that means being Earth-bound for a bit longer, so be it, but honestly, I also pray for a gentle and peaceful release when the time comes.
My father used to ask, when he would feel badly, was why didn't he just die...he was so miserable and unhappy due to his condition. My answer to him was that neither heaven nor hell were ready for him...look how long it took for the good Lord to take his mother, my grandmother...she was 101 when she passed. Thankfully, my pops left us peacefully and very willing to join his brothers and mother.
Thank you for this poem, Audrey...it's just the thing I needed to read.
Hugs,
Georgina
It's funny how after 20 years of her being gone from this life that I still think about my mom so much. she just pops into my head at odd moments. This is a lovely poem and makes me happy to think about those waiting to welcome our loved ones into their open arms. I know when my dog Tonka died a few months ago, he was just gone and then his tail gave a happy wagwagwag. I was certain all his friends were welcoming him home.
The tenth anniversary of my Mom passing is tomorrow. We used this poem for her service. Thank you for sharing on just the right day.
I like this. I have just gotten to the point when my irrational thinking has stopped, or I can control it...the "I want you back. I changed my mind. I don't want to do this". Just yesterday driving home from school I got teary and my thought was "I wonder what you're doing". I keep the Henry Scott Holland poem on the shelf right in front of my eyes on my desk..."Death is nothing at all. Life means all that it ever meant." I keep reminding myself. It's not that I am lonely...I just really miss him.
**blows kisses**
Deb
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