As Witness to Life
Posted: November 15, 2016 Filed under: emotional stuff | Tags: aging, death, grief 6 CommentsDeath came twice this week.
One after living many years; one after living only a few. One is carried in my children’s blood; one I’ve never met face to face. One taught me about what has been; one taught me about what could be.
A caterpillar constructs its own coffin, dissolves itself, then rises again.
I try to accept that what life shows me, I may only witness, not have.
But I have so many wants.
I wanted a great grandmother to always laugh and tell her stories.
I wanted a beloved friend to have more days with her miraculous creation.
I wanted no pain.
I may want, forever.
But that is my lament, and shows how grief makes me selfish, even as I cry for another.
Death is difficult to witness. We try to ease the struggle but cannot do the work; our people go without us for the final act, so that they may emerge into what we cannot fathom.
I have witnessed great beings, old and young. I am grateful.
Say not in grief that she is no more
but say in thankfulness that she was
A death is not the extinguishing of a light,
but the putting out of the lamp
because the dawn has come.
~Rabindranath Tagore
Image description: Two silver butterflies with tinges of blue and yellow, perched on a flower. One is smaller. Source: Wikipedia Commons
Kimchi Latkes 
You have put your grief in beautiful words. I wish you strength and I hope that the love of the people surround you will help to ease the pain.
Thank you. xo
Dear Ji – I am supposed to be dressing to leave for the airport, but I opened your beautiful piece and can barely move. I am sorry for both of your losses this week, and I thank you for your elegant expression of your feelings. Hopefully I will see you and your most wonderful family tomorrow, and then we can share what can be shared together.. With love – val
Dear Jisun,
I read this and cried for I understood your grief even if these two deaths were not in my circle.
Wish I could give you a hug. You will be in my thoughts
Thank you, Claudia. xo
thank you. this is always so mystifying. looking forward to the time when there will be no more darkness, and no more death. hugs