Remembering Fathers
June 18, 2009
As Father’s Day approaches, we have an opportunity to honor all the fathers who have passed. They may have been our father, our husband, our son, and with their passing they left a hole in our life.
A father’s role is multi-faceted, and although we stereotypically think of him as the emotionally strong leader of the family, in many realities, he was also the one who offered a warm hug of encouragement at the time it was needed most, or made someone feel special by just smiling across the dinner table.
Let’s take time this Father’s Day to remember our father with fondness and offer a tribute to the special place he still lives in our heart.
Sharon Clark
GRIEF DEFINED
June 9, 2009
“Grief is the residue that remains in our heart after the tears have dried on our face.
It’s the ache that lingers when our loved one’s face fades from view.
It’s the yearning for the return to normal when normal will never again be.
It’s the threshold you have both crossed, but only you remain, alone.
Grief is the heaviness of body and heart that holds you in its embrace without comfort.
It’s the constant companion you do not look forward to seeing each day.
It’s the fog that surrounds your vision for tomorrow, and hides your joy today.
It’s the deepness of emotion that leaves you empty at the bottom.
It’s the gift of looking within you can discover over and over again.
It offers the warmth of remembrance of shared love.”
Sharon Clark
Honoring & Remembering
June 9, 2009
Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service. Along with that remembrance comes honoring. And, not just for those who died in service to our country. Remembering and honoring our loved ones who have passed, is intricately woven into the fabric of grieving.
Someone once said “Bless those who have given their lives, so that we might know ourselves in their passing (origin unknown)”. How true is this statement for you?
Many times we only truly begin to know ourselves as a result of grieving. We also know that grief is not linear; we can feel just as much grief for our loss that may be decades old, as one that may have occurred last week. Time may help with blurring the edges a bit, but the grief is many times as deep as the love we felt for our loved one who is gone. So, honor that grief when it arises knowing that it is the other edge of love.
So, this Memorial Day, bless not only those who made the greatest sacrifice for our country, but also take a minute to bless all of our loved ones who have died. You can do that with fond remembrances and honoring the time they were here.
Sharon Clark
