"Happy 60th to My Parents!"
We always expect feelings of gratitude, admiration and wistfulness for days gone by. We want to remember. This year, I wasn't prepared for the happy I felt .... even for just moments. Do you know how happy this little Instagram post made me feel?! For a moment, I was celebrating "My Parents!" Just saying "My Parents" felt so beautiful. In fact, I didn't expect to be overcome with emotion from referring to my parents.
You see it has been my entire adult lifetime since I have been able to refer to "my parents" when both of my parents were living. They shared a beautiful life, an extraordinary love and legacy. I've written about losing my Daddy, our Daddy, Husband, Leader, Friend, Advocate, Attorney, Deacon, sooooo much more lost way too soon. Then, I've shared about my Mommy, our Mommy, Wife, Leader, Friend, Advocate, Teacher, Community Leader and Builder, Music Ministry leader, soooo much more lost later and always to soon to their child. Even as an adult child.
There have been many stages through the years. This year, on our parents' - "my parents" - anniversary, these feelings caused me to pause.... For a moment. I saw us celebrating our parents, the party we created, the travel to get us together, the speeches we were making, the gifts we were giving, the food, all the favorite perennial, Southern dishes that our mother had prepared for so many years. Then, the photos.... oh, the selfies and family selfies we would take. The children, the grandchildren and the great grandchildren what joy!
They were beautiful and ecstatic moments! Naturally, too soon I was brought back to reality and the aching was real which reminded me of the Emily Dickinson poem my mother introduced us to when our Daddy went on to heaven. If you have lost a loved one and had the instant decisions of life to make in the middle of the fervent emotions, you understand The Bustle in a House the morning after death....
The Bustle in a House #1108
Related Poem Content Details
The Bustle in a House
The Morning after Death
Is solemnest of industries
Enacted upon Earth –
The Sweeping up the Heart
And putting Love away
We shall not want to use again
Until Eternity –
As painful as the loss is, I'm so grateful we had the love and life we did! I've found the beauty in the truth that those who go before live on in those lives they've left here. They loved life and family! I love their contagious smiles here!
Since writing this, Prince Harry revealed that he finally sought grief counseling many chaotic years after tragically losing his dear mother, Princess Diana. I well understand. Like Prince Harry, I learned the chaos of traumatic loss and the benefit of counseling, and more counseling. Thankfully, I've experienced the beauty of time, life, family and love growing beautifully after a season.
Like "The Bustle In A House," I look forward to the love I've swept up in my heart being "used" again in Eternity when I see "my parents!"
xo
Warmly,
Carolina Mama
Not sponsored. I shared the success of my own Grief Share journey after many years. You could even use the course and resources on your own. The daily email is encouraging as well.
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