"The willingness of America's veterans to sacrifice for our country has earned them our lasting gratitude." - Jeff Miller
Last week, the above Bible verse, became a reality. Birth and death occurred in the same period. I felt I was at a crossroads in life. The circle of life was happening in both a sad and joyful manner. You can read more about this here.
In reference to death, my family paid tribute to my 94-year-old Uncle in a Central New York town, Rome, New York. A spirit of peace filtered through the church as I walked in. The church was as I recalled it from my childhood days when I attended Mass with my Nonnie. A few new pieces beautified the inside and outside of the building. A magnificent life-size Pieta, 1 of 100 created, was installed as a shrine in the back of the church. It reminded me that the passing of life can be a beautiful spiritual event.
It was touching to read my daughter's Facebook post about the birth of her third little girl and the passing of her great uncle, "It seems fateful that with her birth, as one angel comes to this earth, another one leaves it." The circle of life came full forward. The journey on earth is starting for our newborn, Lila Joy, while my uncle begins his journey in heaven. One of the caregivers at Francis House, the hospice setting, told my sister about a ritual they practice. When a resident expires, a window is opened so the spirit can move to a new home. She also said that my Uncle Johnny would be Lila's special angel. Each person, newborn and elder, embark on a spiritual journey comprised of many layers.
.I now turn my thoughts to Spiritual Journey Thursday. On the first Thursday of each month, the Spiritual Journey Thursday community meets to discuss a topic chosen by the host. This month, Dave at Leap of Dave is our host. Dave posed some questions about our spiritual journey for us to ponder. The nature photography digital graphic that I created shares part of a duck family I came upon in Central New York after the funeral. Family is important on our walk as is nature. It is a vital part of creation and every matter unto heaven.
I look forward to reading both Spiritual Journey Thursday and Poetry Friday writers' blog posts. Before I say goodbye, I would like to add a couple more digital inspirations/image poems that I worked on this week.
This week life came full circle. Both a new birth and a passing from life occurred in my family. While contemplating how life meets at crossroads, I turned to poetry to let thoughts surface like spring blooms. Coincidentally, my friend Ramona Behnke wrote a post sharing Poet Laureate Joy Harjo's poem Remember. It touched me so much that it became a mentor text for a silent conversation poem between my 94-year-old uncle and me during his last days in hospice. Because I live in Virginia and he is in Central NY, I could not travel to his bedside. The poem became my way of honoring his life.
Joy Harjo has said, "Poetry is like singing on paper". I celebrate my Uncle John's life through verse with the hope that he is spiritually close by listening to the lines.
Remember you are this universe and thisuniverse is you.
My antique postcard above reminds me to fill this Memorial Day Weekend with praise for my uncle, a veteran of World War II who enlisted in the Marine Corps at a young age.
His memory and the memory of so many other veterans are remembered throughout this weekend.
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