Where is your love

One more time into the public breech of the "life goes on" dinner with my friends and family who are grieving.

I intend to go to help with set up and prep and stay for tear down and clean up. I have my food I made in love of them and hope we all meet and eat in peace.

I spent yesterday in private grief again. I feel more ready to face theirs with my own dealt with the best I know how. I can offer hugs and tears today for them more unselfishly than I once could. I can only try to do what they have asked for them the best I can.

This is the part of grieving I understand. It is "normal" for us to gather and eat together. It's part of our everyday life. For this group a large gathering is usually held outside with a fire but the weather is too hard for some right now. I know there will be one later.

When we acknowledge the loss of the companion at the table with us we also see the others we love are still here. We are still here to eat and smile and cry and comfort and cheer each other. One has gone on ahead but we have love between us yet and as we eat together again we affirm life is to be lived. Love is to be shared.

When we meet and eat today those of us with family at home will go back to them with a special appreciation of them for awhile. We are reminded they are precious to us and we live a little closer to them. In the loss of one is the renewed bonding of many who learn again there may be no other day to love them and show it to them.

We gather because we lost a friend, we will part loving the ones we are with more deeply today. It helps the healing to see that love lives on between us.

May all of you reading this remember the ones that you are with are to be appreciated and loved today - tomorrow may be too late.

If only you can do it, get it done. If only you can say it, speak it out. If only you can love them - don't leave a doubt that you do. If there are fences that need mending, be the one to attend to it. It is really up to you how you leave those that are behind if you step on the shining path unexpectedly. Keep your heart right out there and loving every day you walk in.

I don't know anything more important than showing those you care about that you love them.