Ruth

Today I went to the funeral of my sister-in-law, Ruth. One of her friends read a poem at the cemetery, and I thought it was very beautiful. When I looked it up on line, I found it was the poem read by Gregory Peck at the funeral of Frank Sinatra.

Ruth was always soft-spoken, and I loved talking with her about museums and travel. I will miss her very much, but find comfort knowing she is no longer in pain.

To Those I Love
If I should ever leave you,
Whom I love
To go along the silent way. . .
Grieve not.
Nor speak of me with tears.
But laugh and talk of me
As if I were beside you there.

(I'd come. . .I'd come,
Could I but find a way!
But would not tears and
And grief be barriers?)

And when you hear a song
Or see a bird I loved,
Please do not let the thought of me
Be sad. . .for I am loving you
Just as I always have. . .

You were so good to me!
There are so many things
I wanted still to do. . .
So many things I wanted to say
to you. . . Remember that
I did not fear. . . It was
Just leaving you
That was so hard to face.

We cannot see beyond. . .
But this I know:
I loved you so. . .
'twas heaven here with you!

-Isla Paschal Richardson

Gratitude

I don't think a day goes by in my life, when I am not thankful for my friends and family. It is like celebrating Thanksgiving all year round. I hope I never lose site of gratitude.

Alice's Grand Adventure

One day, I will write the story of how Alice, the cat, came home with Benjamin, but for today, I have to write about her adventure.

She is a small, gray cat, who has the cutest meow and the softest fur. Today, I am not sure how it happened, but sweet Alice, had an adventure.

When Madeline and Andrew came home from school, they decided they wanted to take some photographs of each other outside. Madeline called me and asked where I put my collection of cute winter hats. Our foyer has two separate coat closets, and I told Madeline the hats were in the non-kid coat closet in a basket on the floor.

When I arrived home, Madeline shared the story of how she opened the closet and reached in to get the hats, and found Alice, sound asleep, curled up in the basket. I had noticed earlier in the day, I didn't see Alice much, but thought she must be sleeping somewhere in the house. I tried to remember the last time I was in the closet, and I think it was about five hours before Madeline found her.

This evening, the coat closet was closed, yet Alice was laying in front of the door. She must have wanted to get back in and enjoy the peaceful quiet of her basket nest filled with my winter hats and mittens.

My Dance Partner

My youngest son, Benjamin, recently joined the swing dance club at his middle school. Apparently, swing dance clubs are popular in many college towns, and our high school hosts multiple dances though out the school year.

I was happy when Benjamin decided to pursue the club. My advice to the boys has been simple and straight forward, and I have always teased them that most women really admire a man who can and will dance. (Okay, to be fair, women also admire a man who can cook, but that is another blog post.)

I was so happy when we went to my nephew's wedding reception last night, and Benjamin turned to me, put his hands out and asked me if I would dance with him. He led me to the dance floor with such confidence, smiled at me and took my hands. We giggled as he confidently spun me in circles, as we were the only ones on the dance floor.

Benjamin told me I was doing fine when he noticed I was wearing three inch heels, and I thought about how the next time we go to a wedding reception, he will likely be towering over me. I just hope at that point he still wants to have me as a dance partner!

Another Truth

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

-Maya Angelou

Finding Happiness

"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times,
if one only remembers to turn on the light."

- Albus Dumbledore in
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Thankful Prayer

When the kids were small, I thought it was important for them to take a moment before dinner and say a prayer. I was familiar with the traditional Catholic prayer said before meals:

Bless us, Oh Lord,
and these thy gifts which
we are about to receive from thy bounty,
through Christ, Our Lord.
Amen.

However, as nice as this prayer is, it always struck me as a prayer being said, because that is what you are suppose to say before you eat, and little thought was given as the prayer was recited. I wanted the kids to identify with the words they would say, and understand prayer is also a time to take a moment to reflect and be thankful. I searched for awhile, for the prayer I thought was an easy one to remember, and had meaning to children. The prayer I found is:

Thanks for food that helps us grow,
For family and friends we know.
Thanks for all the world we see.
Thank you God, for loving me.

I am unsure sure who to credit the prayer to, as I have done multiple Internet searches and have been unable to find the prayer on line. Someday I will find the piece of paper where I wrote the prayer down, and give credit where credit is due. However, for some reason, I thought it was written by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

As the kids have grown, this is the prayer we always say when we sit down to dinner. Although, it is sometimes difficult to always eat as a family because of activities, when we do sit down together and hold hands while saying our prayer, it is comforting to know my children are thankful.