Sunday, October 14, 2007

A Time to Mourn

"1 All things have their season, and in their times all things pass under heaven. 2 A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted. 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to destroy, and a time to build. 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to dance." Ecclesiastes 3:1-10

Friday morning I posted a "Tribute to My Mother" who died about eight years ago. Friday afternoon, the day that would have been my mother's birthday, I received a call that a dear old friend of mine has died, a woman who was like a mother to me when I was a young adult. I began writing a "Tribute to 'Another Mother' ". But after I got involved in writing it, I could go no further. I realized then that this is not the time to put feelings into words. It is the time to mourn.

You might even see less blogging from me for a few days, as I take that time. Not that I won't be laughing and playing with my family. Not that I won't be working on homeschooling and working toward writing for publication. But I need a little time - where I can squeeze time in - a little time to think. I need a little time to let myself feel, a time to weep. I need to forgive myself for not keeping in touch more often or more recently. I need to think about who in my life I should be getting in touch with. I need to thank God for wonderful memories.

Unfinished Tribute to “Another Mother”

I lived in Los Angeles. I was 21 years old. I was far from my parents, both geographically and emotionally.

After my high school graduation, I had joined a cult. After leaving the cult, I had “free-lanced” in life: traveling, moving, taking a class here, a job there. Now I was going to settle down, rent a little travel trailer in a trailer park, and work as a medical transcriber in a doctor’s office.

I wasn’t really finished moving around, though. First I moved from the trailer to renting a room in a home. Then I moved from transcribing medical documents for $500 a month to teaching in a private Catholic school for a hundred dollars less.

It was a full, happy life - except that I was very lonely so very far from my family; and I was sometimes muddled, from having lived in a cult.

All that began to change when I met Dona. I met her first on the phone. I don’t remember how or why. I do remember that by the time we were done talking, I wasn’t lonely anymore.

6 comments:

EC Gefroh said...

MM, I am so sorry for your loss.

Simple Faith and Life said...

Thank you, Esther.
God bless you!
MM

Jean Heimann said...

MM, I, too, am sorry for your loss. My mom died several years ago and it is still a deep wound in my heart. She died shortly before her 83rd birthday, which is very close to Mother's Day.

Praying for you and with you,

Jean

Alexandra said...

What a beautiful tribute...so sorry for your loss. :( How wonderful to have experienced the love of two mothers, one biological and one of the heart. You are truly blessed...and she lives on in your heart and mind. When you feel up to it, I'd love to read the rest of the story.

Simple Faith and Life said...

Jean, Thank you. I appreciate the sympathy and prayers.

May God bless you.

Margaret Mary

Simple Faith and Life said...

Alexandra,
Thank you for your thoughtful post, too. It means so much when people understand, even more so when you understand not just the sorrow but the love, too. My tears have been not only about loss but also gratitude. Don't know if that sounds like it makes sense or not. :) And thanks for the encouragement to come back and write more some day. Might be a year. :) Maybe it might even be much sooner. But I will keep it in mind!