Remember to Love

She was one of Mom’s friends. They shared a love of books and all things artsy. 

So, when I read her obituary, I couldn’t help but remember her.  Of course, the obituary had no mention of the heartache I know she endured—the loss of her husband to a younger woman. 







Reading the flowing account of her life, there was not even a hint of animosity or judgement, only the delight she found in her children and after they were grown, exploring her world and creating beauty with her gifted hands. 

She was an artist, but she must have also had an amazing heart and looked at the world and it’s people through a lens of love.




I admired her strength. I wondered if it came from an inner storehouse. She seemed to focus on what she had, not what she’d lost. I don’t think I would have fared as well as she did. 

When bitterness would have been easy, she redirected her life to find beauty in places she hadn’t looked before. She healed.





Her obituary was a colorful description of travels, both solo or with girlfriends. Perhaps her heart accepted she wouldn’t have her mate back, but she never sought another. 

But it was the final lines of her obituary that gave me the biggest pause....If your life was touched by mine, just say a prayer, and then tell your family you love them and hold them close.






I wondered if that thought came from a lesson she learned earlier in life, or later? 

I’ll never know, but I’m saying a prayer, while loving and holding my family close. I clipped the obituary from the paper. It’s my reminder that life is brief and having a forgiving, loving heart is a wonderful way to live now and a sweet way to be remembered.






Photo Credits in order of use: Clem Onojeghuo, Jared Sluyer, Doriana Dream, Jenny Caywood, and Leighann Renee.

Popular posts from this blog

Counting the Cost

Image
Something big is missing in this photo. Let me explain. Here in my hometown, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe prepared a parcel of land for a new hotel. Plenty of planning and architectural designs were evaluated. A gemstone of a hotel would be built across from the waterfront—a beautiful, restful place welcoming travelers. A true four-star facility.   They cleared the aging brick structures that had been fading away between Front Street and Railroad Avenue. Then the pandemic hit, shortages of labor and supplies, add in the costly inflation that followed. Everything stopped.   But this is what I admire about the Elwha Tribe: they have counted the cost. They didn’t want to move forward and take on tremendous debt. They would rather move slowly and be financially ready, rather than begin building and then letting it sit unfinished.   Counting the cost is something I should have done earlier in life when I didn’t know what high interest rates would do to our farming cost...
Read more

Summertime Music

Image
During the summer months, in an outside seating area, a delightfully painted piano sits with a sign that says, “Play me”.   It was just before 8 pm as I walked past the piano. My bus would be arriving soon, and I still have another ten minutes to walk before reaching my bus stop. But no one is around. It’s a beautiful warm evening. I pulled out the piano bench and sat down. The sun was behind me, and the piano keys reflected its glow. I had no music in front of me, only the songs within me. Notes drifted into the air.  In those brief moments, the magic of music and summer came together. Isn’t that how it is? Summertime music has a way of lingering in our minds and lasting a lifetime. As I stood and grabbed my things, I heard distant clapping—I guess I wasn’t alone, after all.
Read more

Planting Good Seeds

Image
Harvest will always depend on what we plant and how well we care for our crop.    Looking over my seed packets, I notice they’re different than the ones I planted before. One package is called Word seeds. The directions say that each of my words is a seed, so it cautions me to think before I speak. Harsh words don’t produce sweet, nourishing fruit. These seeds will require thoughtful care in the garden. I see some Volunteer seeds. Those extra hours I tend to fritter away are going to be planted in a useful project.   It looks like time isn’t wasted in this garden plot. Next are some Love seeds—the directions are interesting: get up each day and love others. No specifics are given—just do something for someone every day. The seed package shows pictures of smiling faces. I smile back. As I’m ready to head to the garden with my seeds, a package falls to the ground. I open it. Inside are the tiniest seeds I’ve ever seen—but the directions s...
Read more