A Difficult Week

This past week has been quite difficult. My mother-in-law was in the hospital and hospice was called in for my brother-in-law, John. Despite these difficulties, I was able to find comfort in the facts that my mother-in-law is now home recovering and we were able to visit with John right before he left the rest home and opted for hospice.

I have always admired John for his loving spirit, his musical talent, and above all, his complete faith in an unseen Heavenly Father. This is a faith shared by my husband, daughter and I as well as our family. It is the reason that John, despite incredible pain and weakness of body, smiled at us the entire time we visited him. It is the reason for the unexplainable peace he had about dying. And the belief that we will one day see him again makes the loss that we are going to soon experience a bit more endurable.

Unfortunately these events meant I was unable to visit the library and gather a new stack of books to review, but I am put in mind of a wonderful book by a friend of mine that explains the concept of life and death to children. It is entitled The Life of Bud and is the story of a leaf from formation to falling from the tree. 

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Also be sure to drop by Literacy Musings Mondays for more great blogs as well as my personal website Fun With Aileen where you will find more on reading, writing, and my very own chapter and picture books. And finally, you can find me on twitter if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.

The Therapy of Faith and Writing

It has been a tough year for my family so far. First my daughter and I were sick for close to two months catching one bug after an other. Then, early this week my father went home to be with the Lord. Having already lost my first husband, two father-in-laws, one mother-in-law, and my best friend of 28 years, I can say that this is not the first time I have been dealt the hand of grief and it will probably not be the last. But what I have found through it all is that my faith and my writing are both therapeutic.

When my first husband went to be with the Lord, my grief was so deep, that despite believing he was in a place of wholeness and perfection, I needed some kind of an outlet. As I cried unto the Lord for relief I was amazed to hear a tune in my head that was soon joined by words. Never having had any musical talent whatsoever, I was amazed to find that I had been sent a song from heaven which I titled "Let the Joy Return". Shortly thereafter I also had the inspiration to start writing letters to my dearly departed. I would write down what I had been doing, how I missed his company, and how I knew despite it all that the Lord would comfort and guide me.

The mere acts of  trusting in the Lord and writing down what was inside me brought immeasurable comfort. I found this to continue to be true when my father-in-law, who I loved dearly, went to be with the Lord. I wrote a poem expressing that despite our family's grief, we were elated that he walked the streets of gold. So in keeping with past practice, when my father made his journey home  I worked hard at remembering where he now was, who he was now with, and how he was no longer a man of sorrow, pain, or tears. And I wrote. I wrote a poem of remembrance which I would like to share with you now.

I am saddened you're not by my side
But I rejoice at the same time
For you are in a better place
A place of great design

I think of the small caterpillar
Emerging from his cocoon
Amazed he is a butterfly
Dancing to a new tune

I think that's what you're doing
In your new body whole and fine
Delighting in your Savior
Forever and all time

It brings me such great pleasure
To know your holy fate
No more tears and sorrows
Just a perfect state

And while I'll shed a tear or two
I know I will survive
Because my loved and cherished dad
You're the one who's truly alive!

So in parting I would like to say that when life get's you down or gives you large burdens to bear, turn them over to the Lord and then turn your thoughts to writing.

Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!