"The First Thanksgiving"
My Beloved said,
"My name is not complete without yours."
God revealed a sublime truth to the world when He sang,
"I am made whole by your life.
Each soul, each soul completes Me."
-Hafiz-
My Beloved said,
"My name is not complete without yours."
God revealed a sublime truth to the world when He sang,
"I am made whole by your life.
Each soul, each soul completes Me."
-Hafiz-
The first holidays without a beloved one can be excruciating. What constitutes a holiday is often complex. the anniversary's and the celebrations of life are diverse indeed. But for some reason, the more public "firsts", especially Thanksgiving and Christmas, can be the most challenging.
Everyone is trying so hard to make merry, pretty much for the sake of others. Much like trying to keep a deflated helium balloon up in the air. But what choice do we have but to try.
So, we simply show up, physically if not emotionally. And what do we find at that celebration???? We find the living breathing resurrected spirit of the one that is no longer there. Does this require a heartbreaking amount of effort? You bet it does.
We Show Up and We re-member (interestingly I recently learned the word remember means to "put back together"). We remember the dad that was always played center in the turkey bowl, the uncle who shouted encouragement from the sidelines, the grandfather in a fedora and watched proudly his sons and grandsons roughed it up on the field, the mother, grandmother and aunts, providers of all the family edible traditions.
The communion of saints gather once again around the table, football field, kitchen sink and game table to celebrate life..'I am made whole by your life. Each soul, each soul completes me."
This is the resurrection story anew, every time.
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
"And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" ( John 11:25-26)
Everyone is trying so hard to make merry, pretty much for the sake of others. Much like trying to keep a deflated helium balloon up in the air. But what choice do we have but to try.
So, we simply show up, physically if not emotionally. And what do we find at that celebration???? We find the living breathing resurrected spirit of the one that is no longer there. Does this require a heartbreaking amount of effort? You bet it does.
We Show Up and We re-member (interestingly I recently learned the word remember means to "put back together"). We remember the dad that was always played center in the turkey bowl, the uncle who shouted encouragement from the sidelines, the grandfather in a fedora and watched proudly his sons and grandsons roughed it up on the field, the mother, grandmother and aunts, providers of all the family edible traditions.
The communion of saints gather once again around the table, football field, kitchen sink and game table to celebrate life..'I am made whole by your life. Each soul, each soul completes me."
This is the resurrection story anew, every time.
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
"And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" ( John 11:25-26)
Personally I love that Jesus poses this as a question... Do you believe this?? It is the question that we ask ourselves in so many ways and times in life but never so much as at the tender time of the death of a beloved one.
So I would entreat and invite you to look at the family gathered with you in the days ahead and SEE the spirit of your Dad, Mom, brother,sister, friend in the people, traditions and love that is present among you. After all, it is a PROMISE that has been made to us.... if we believe
For heartbroken among us that can make the unbearable, bearable.
For heartbroken among us that can make the unbearable, bearable.
Maggi Hamilton
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