Loss.

Cry me all the rain clouds dry.

Cry me all the moisture in the sky.

Cry me the oceans, rivers and lakes.

Cry me this pain out, for God's sakes.

Cry me till no tears are left to cry.

Cry me death as I watch her die.

Cry me this image, imprisoned within.

Cry me, for I am next, yes next of kin.

Mum....

To live in hearts we leave,

Is not to die.

Thomas Campbell.

The lasting gift that any loved one gives us is their presence in our hearts. The memories and the very spirit of the person live on in us, and in the things we cherish and do, long after the person is no longer physically here. That is something no one can ever take away from us.

This presence can be a source of comfort or sustenance, of strength or beauty. It is up to us to dedicate ourselves to intergrating that loving spirit into our ongoing lives.

Taken from A Time to Grieve by Carol Staudacher.

Beaky...The Great Kiskadee.

                                       
 The Meeting.
It was a beautiful morning when he appeared.
A baby bird who could not yet fly.
His beak was so big, his chirp so strong,
That I imagined him to be a baby hawk.
Still surprised by this unexpected meeting,
I watched as he jumped from side to side,
And slowly I approached him.
Suddenly he stopped moving and froze,
Just eyeing me.....
With the intention of catching him, I got even closer. He did n’t try to escape as I thought he would. No, he let me pick him up and hold him in my hands.
I recognised him as a baby “ Bem-te-vi”,*and there and then christened him Beaky.
Intrigued by there being yet another bird in the story of my life, I also named him Messenger and waited for the message to be revealed.
A few days passed and accidently Haleluia! I discovered the message...
Because of it’s song the “Bem-te-vi”, in some countries in Latin America, is also referred to as “Christ- was”.
Hopefully the next time you hear the “Bem-te-vi’s” song you will remember this story and, like me, feel His presence in your life.
Today, I call Beaky “The Messenger of Light”.
And you?
How would you call him?  

*"Bem-te-vi"-  The Great Kiskadee is a large bird member of the fly catcher family. He can be found from extreme southern Texas all the way south to Argentina. He is named for his exuberant “Bee – tee – wee” call.

   This Story was written by Jorge Studart.

* The Christ referred to is Jesus Christ..."Christ was"...who was he?...He was Christ!