blessings

Blessings can sneak up on you.  In fact, I think that is part of the definition of a blessing – a moment in time you could never have imagined that gives you comfort and a sense of freedom from all worry – a moment when you know, despite everything, that we are all held in a Compassionate Tenderness.

I have been grateful for many such moments . . . small and not so small.  One of the not so small moments happened earlier this year.  I was given a photo of Matt that I had never seen.  So, right off the bat, a blessing !  When you think you have seen all the pictures that exist of your loved one and then . . . you see a new one !  Oh, that is wonderful.   But a little background, first . . .

Soon after Matt died, I took one of my favorite of photos of his beautiful smile and framed it in a special frame.  Then I wrote on a small piece of paper . . .

“May you be free.  May you be at peace.  May you always remember that we love and will never forget you. “ 

and included it beneath the photo. 

The photo that was new to me was taken a year or so before Matt died while he was taking climbing lessons that I had given him for Christmas.  He was tethered to a harness and was about to descend from the side of a cliff.  His arms were spread wide and his smile lit the whole mountain  - it was pure joy.

So, I decided to frame it where I could see it often . . . it was the very way I wanted to remember him and to be reminded that he was an intimate part of that emotion now.  So, I created a close up of it,  then decided to add the blessing to it.   I stepped back to look at it and was struck with the realization that this was no longer my blessing to Matt, but was now his blessing to me.

“Mom,

            May you be free.  May you be at peace.  May you always remember that I love you and will never forget you.”