Memorial Day

This Memorial Day... along with my thoughts and prayers of gratitude for fallen soldiers whose heroic, ultimate sacrifices have time and again sufficed the cost of "my" freedoms; I will, of course, be thinking of 2 men, having separately passed 'through sleeps' dark and silent gate' who were so very special to me: my Daddy and Ricky.

The triumps and trials I obtained to in 2007 as well as events unfolding and flowing into this year... have continually been overshadowed by this, for me - it was the year in which I lost the 1st man I had ever loved, and the last.

Certainly, there will again be for me time and opportunity to give and receive the sublime gift: love... and not only do I have a testimony that, '...there is no end to love' but I have that faith to take comfort in the fact. To know that even though the opportunity to further enjoy the good things about these men and my relationships with them 'in real time' has ended, the love that we obtained to still, steadfastly, abides - along with many good memories. (Those of which, couriously, have come to mind in those coincidental, surprising ways - that nevertheless command your attention to the point of realizing this is not so coincidental, as what it is a comfort and relief - being particularly sweet.)


These relationships were soulful relationships, for me, like none other, and so I miss them - terribly at times.

They had this in common as I knew them to be, they were both hardworking, honorable men - who would reachout to help, and lift another whenever they possibly could... and they liked to sing, when feeling really good about themselves they would go bursting into song at any given moment (never predictible, always delightful when they did so) and they liked to laugh, too!

Still, there is no going back, and there will never be a 'repeat'.

...and so I celebrate, deep within my grief (as do we all, I believe, when we come to terms with sudden and significant 'change') that we had what we had, that we did what we did, and that we came to know what we know, because we experienced it.

"Now" for me, is still an evaporative thing - which is sometimes both physically and spiritually painful and chaotic.

For them "now" is freedom from their physical forms and ...peace.

So - here my thoughts turn back to current events - how many, Lord, have recently passed on from this world?

Globally - earthquakes, hurricanes, wars' battlefields - domestic and international terror is afoot and grief is rampant in the news.

No matter were you're at or what your circumstances are, it is a hard thing to bare... nevertheless, it is honorable to remember as long and as vibrantly as we can those that have passed on before us....
and to visit, and appreciate those that are still here!
... and ....
in remembering....

can I pause now and then to help and lift another?

can I burst into song now and then, for no other reason than that I am feeling really good?

can I hold on to my good humor (a gift, acquired from both of my parents) to my own ends?

I'm gonna give it my best shot.
=)

In memory of you, Dad:
February 13, 1934 - October 16, 2007
&
In memory of you, Rick:
July 14, 1952 - May 26, 2007
.
(You had great "dashes")