Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Don, Eileen & Ethel: Unfortunately I wasn't able to speak with each of you at the hall yesterday as you were busy with others. I just wanted to express our condolences. I'll always remember Aunt Hazel for her quiet patience and gentle humour, and will miss visiting with her. She was the perfect compliment to your Dad's outgoing personality!
I received the following "poem" this morning in an email and thought it was something you might appreciate reading in memory of your mom. Take care.
Marlene Graff
The Journey of a Mother
For those who are fortunate enough to still be blessed
by having your Mom with you, this is beautiful...For those who
aren't...it is even more beautiful.
The young mother set her foot on the path of life.
'Is this the long way?' she asked.
And the guide said 'Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old
before you reach the end of it. But the
end will be better than the beginning.'
But the young mother was happy, and she would not
believe that anything could be better than these years.
So she played with her children, she fed them and
bathed them, and taught them how to tie their shoes and ride a bike
and reminded them to feed the dog, and do their homework and brush
their teeth. The sun shone on them, and the young Mother cried,
'Nothing will ever be lovelier than this.'
Then the nights came, and the storms, and the path
was sometimes dark, and the children shook with
fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and
covered them with her arms, and the children said,
'Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near,and no harm can come.'
And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead,
and the children climbed and grew weary, and the
mother was weary. But at all times she said to the
children,'A little patience and we are there.' So the children climbed,
and as they climbed they learned to weather the
storms. And with this, she gave them strength to face the world.
Year after year, she showed them compassion,
understanding, hope, but most of all...unconditional
love. And when they reached the top they said,
'Mother, we would not have done it without you.'
The days went on, and the weeks and the months and
the years, and the mother grew old and she became
little and bent. But her children were tall and
strong, and walked with courage. And the mother, when she lay down at
night, looked up at the stars and said,'This is a better day than the
last, for my children have learned so much
and are now passing these traits on to their children.'
And when the way became rough for her, they lifted
her, and gave her their strength, just as she had given
them hers. One day they came to a hill, and beyond the hill, they
could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. And mother said:
'I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end is
better than the beginning, for my children can walk with dignity and
pride,with their heads held high, and so can their children after them.
And the children said, 'You will always walk with us, Mother, even
when you have gone through the gates.'
And they stood and watched her as she went on alone,
and the gates closed after her. And they said: 'We cannot see her,
but she is with us still. A Mother like ours is more than memory. She
is a living presence.'
Your Mother is always with you.
She's the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street,
she's the smell of certain foods you remember,
flowers you pick and perfume that she wore,
she's the cool hand on your brow when you're not feeling well,
she's your breath in the air on a cold winter's day.
She is the sound of the rain that lulls you to sleep,
the colors of a rainbow, she is Christmas morning.
Your Mother lives inside your laughter.
And she's crystallized in every tear drop.
A mother shows every emotion ...happiness, sadness, fear, jealousy, love,
hate, anger, helplessness, excitement, joy, sorrow...
and all the while, hoping and praying you will only know the
good feelings in life.
She's the place you came from, your first home,
and she's the map you follow with every step you take.
She's your first love, your first friend, even your
first enemy, but nothing on earth can separate you.
Not time, not space...not even death!
