I am standing upon the seashore.
A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the
morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean.
She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of
white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.
Then someone at my side says: "There, she is gone!"
"Gone where?"
Gone from my sight. That is all.
She is just as large in mast and hull and spar
as she was when she left my side and she is just as able
to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me, not her.
And just at that moment when someone says:
"There, she is gone!" there are other eyes
watching her coming,
and other voices ready to take up the glad shout:
"Here she comes!"
And that is dying.
~Henry Van Dyke
My friend Lesley Jacobs shared this beautiful poem recently with a group of friends. I love this perspective of death. It’s a perfect illustration of entering heaven. My friend Liz is now in there. It was a sentimental journey this week. Thanks to those of you who wrote your sweet words of comfort.
I’m home now and trying to catch up. Kids are off school for a week and we have lots planned as Graham’s sister Sandra and her family have arrived from England. I had hoped to plan some online specials for April since it is Autism Awareness month but I didn’t get it together. The month is 30 days long so maybe I’ll come up with something. In the meantime, tomorrow is the last day for the SixDegrees fundraising, and Ali is making us all proud with her efforts for Autism….last I checked it was over $25,000!!!
EDIT: she’s at $37,000 plus! Ends at midnight.
Have a good Spring Break, Easter, or Passover.
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