in our tradition,
people die three deaths.
the first death is when out bodies cease to function;
when our hearts no longer beat of their own accord.
when our gaze no longer has a depth or weight,
when the space we occupy slowly loses its meaning.
the second death comes when the body is lowered into the ground,
returned to mother earth, out of sight.
the third death,
the most definitive death,
is when there is no one left alive to remember us.
victor landa
this memorial weekend
as we take time to do the sacred work of remembering
may we be filled with the presence of all those
now gone that once filled our days with love and comfort.
in our remembering may we be graced
with their courage, wisdom, and compassion.
may we reaffirm our place in the mystery of it all;
to live life fully,
straight from our hearts with great unending passion,
and care for ourselves and each other
one full day at a time.
"we seem far away
yet we are near as weeping
or the breath of God"
"My memories are precious like the flowers of the field
they are more precious than silver or gold.
My dad called me his little 'bud', I loved this I felt so special!"
sue fox
"When I was a 'boater' with my husband before he died rather young,
I always felt I was in 'paradise' out on the ocean.
There is nothing quite like it when you are at one with the sea and hardly any boats around.
Grateful I have those wonderful memories."
carol
"We lost Grandma when I was eight years old,
but she has never left my mind.
I've always considered her my guardian angel. If you look closely, you can almost see her wings."
"Momma also has a story about making a pie.
She had all of the ingredients except for an egg. She went to the chicken coop
and sat and waited and waited for a chicken to lay an egg.
Then she finished her pie."
"She had tiaras in every room of the house
so she could wear one when she was doing laundry or cooking."
They had five daughters and I am the "baby,
" age 74, and my mom always introduced me as "her baby,"
even when I was a married lady with kids myself.
"Later when I got home and unwrapped the flowers,
there tucked deep inside the flower stems were 3 dry pinto beans.
a message from Tim.
I still have those beans.
They are going on my ofrenda shrine."
gemma
"His name was John and he loved to garden.
He taught me how to till the soil
plant seeds to grow tomatoes and strawberries.
He taught me about caterpillars and worms.
He taught me to love the taste of what I'd grown by eating them right off the plant."
cheryl
"My father taught me to grow up without fear,
to grab the bull by the horns,
and get out there and live life to the fullest.
Often, when I least expect it, I see and feel his hand holding mine..."
adriana
"Tonight I hope to have quiet time
in the living room to begin writing memories
of some of my family, friends and heroes and heroines
I admire who have passed on. Death does not end a relationship."
fran
redondowriter's sacred ordinary
"We learn to live with loss by allowing ourselves to feel the pain and completely live in the present
moving on as best we can. So we will celebrate and remember
the happiness that we had, have, and share always."
gloria
the art of remembering.
each story shared,
a flower pressed with honor in the book of life.
may remembering fill each of us with the vital love
of those departed,
igniting our hearts
to live a life of deeper meaning;
making a profound difference in the lives our life will touch.
today my paradise is exploring the contours of all our hearts.
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I like how you've stitched all these stories together with the thread of your love!
Posted by: magicalmysticalteacher | May 26, 2013 at 09:32 AM
Tears falling in my lap. Thank you for honoring all those memories here.
xx
Posted by: gemma | May 26, 2013 at 09:55 AM
so beautiful Rebecca... all these ways of remembering, a loving quilt of comfort.
Posted by: Laura Hegfield | May 26, 2013 at 10:34 AM
You really put me in a mood to remember which turned out great for my post today. Thank you for including me in your memory celebration not once but twice.
Posted by: Cheryl's Excellent Adventure | May 26, 2013 at 01:38 PM
my eyes have welled up with tears at these tender memories. as part of my prayer time, I include the souls of my beloved family members and friends. Memorial Day brings up memories of my mom and her various VFW days, and my uncles who served during WWII (3 did) and the Korean War. My husband also served during the Korean War. God bless all veterans! and peace be each of you as you sift through your own memories.
Posted by: Nonnie | May 26, 2013 at 02:28 PM
I feel that not being remembered is the saddest death of them all..
Posted by: Ana | May 26, 2013 at 02:40 PM