Another Gentle Good-Bye...

 

Hi!

When you come from a family the size of mine, it's the source of a lot of joyful occasions. There are tons of baby announcements, weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries, not to mention all of the other milestones along the way. We have reunions,  graduations, achievements in sports, academics, and the arts. We are an eclectic group, so there is an incredible variety of things to celebrate. 

Unfortunately, the flip side of the joy is the fact that we are forced to say goodbye to parts of our hearts more frequently than most families. This week we lost another special Auntie.

This is Auntie Josine. A daughter, wife, mother, auntie, nurse, yoga master, and all-around resourceful,  smart, beautiful lady. This particular aunt lived pretty far away, so I wasn't able to spend the kind of time with her that it takes to forge a close relationship, but this is what I've come to understand. 

Born in 1938, the fourth in a line that would become 14, her childhood, like a lot of kids in rural Saskatchewan at that time, was filled with too much responsibility, and hard work, mixed with a healthy dose of mischief and laughter. 

This incredibly strong woman survived cancer once, only to have it take her from us in the end. She will be greatly missed by many. 

Life comes with no guarantees. We tend to put things off, the important conversations, the visits, simply spending time. 

We tend to do this for a variety of reasons. We are busy. We're not sure how to approach a particular conversation. We have unhealed wounds we aren't prepared to address. We're holding a grudge.

Whatever the reason, we need to learn that it's worth it. Even if whatever it is doesn't end in rainbows and sunshine, it can provide resolution... closure.

So have the conversation, make the trip for the visit, make use of that phone in your hand. Time is not ours to keep. 

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May your soul take flight, soon to be reunited with those you've missed most.

May you understand that you've left behind the best of you, holding your memory close. 

May all who need to learn to walk this world without you, find comfort, for your pain is now gone.

May they find a way to once again revel in sunsets, knowing the darkness will give way to the dawn. 

May you find peace, and rest, for you deserve a gentle sleep.

May we find peace, and once again find joy, but for now, we'll sadly, gently weep. 

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