Friday, April 22, 2016

Three Years


She left us reluctantly, wanting another ten or fifteen years of good living.

Mom was six years younger than her namesake, Queen Elizabeth who turned 90 yesterday. She would have enjoyed looking at the pictures of the queen’s birthday celebrations and fully expected to reach 90 herself. Instead, we remember her departure three years ago today.


I am 4,093 km from her grave tonight and cannot visit. But there is a full moon this evening and grey rain clouds broke open in the afternoon. We climbed to the top of a nearby hill and waited for moonrise. 

The same full moon shines tonight on her resting place and on family members who are scattered across the world. 

The sun set behind us and bird song filled the dusk air. A brisk north wind chilled us to the bone and Jupiter shone brightly overhead. 


The moon was slow to break through the low clouds on the horizon but it did rise;- as reluctantly as she left. 

Sunset, moonrise,
Dawn, dusk, 
Light, darkness,  
Brightness, shadow, 
Life, death, remembrance and eternal hope. 


6 comments:

  1. I imagine that no one ever gets over grieving the loss of a beloved mom. My own is slipping away in her mind, a bit at a time. Blessings to you as you mark one more year, Ruth.

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  2. What a great idea to mark the day by climbing a hill and watching the moon rise.

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  3. Our loved ones always leave too soon in our minds. It is good to know you have precious memories of her and those will remain.

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  4. You will carry her memory every day.

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  5. Sad hugs to you Ruth. I wonder, would it be a comfort to you to be able to visit her grave? I never thought much of it myself until I moved a thousand miles away from where all my people are buried.

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  6. Thank you for your kind comments.
    @ Laura- I was at her burial and visited her grave the next year . This time of year is full of remembrances. Within a 2 weeks period are the anniversaries of her death, birth and Mothers' Day.

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