It is 1:13am. My friend died tonight. She was surrounded by the most beautiful, strong, loving women I have ever seen. They cherished her and cared for her until she took her last breath. Two of them stayed with her around the clock since last week. They were not her family but they were more family than her blood family. They loved her. They laughed and cried with her. They shared their stories. They planned her funeral. They comforted each other. They shared that "different kind of quiet," of a loved one's death. These were the gifts they gave and the gifts they received, in that holy time of life and death...time when all things of ultimate value rise to the top, and all else falls away. And it was beautiful!
Tomorrow I will continue to wrestle with my faith issues of what death means. Tonight it is time to rest in the love that was/is shared.
1 comment:
What a lovely thing it is to have friends who will love you and care for you in all stages of your life. God is in the relationships.
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