Writing during Christmas season is tough. I feel like the post should be upbeat, but this is a challenge with so much worldly issues getting in the way. So, I have decided to write something semi-upbeat during some very difficult national and international situations. Keep in mind that the purpose of this blog is helping people in the midst of the darkness of loss to understand how they might reconcile their grief, over time, and finding meaning and purpose.
Over the past few weeks I have been made aware of two losses of people in my life. Both of them were not close friends but had nonetheless provided me with a presence that enriched my life.
I learned of the death of a woman with whom I worked during my human resources career about forty years ago. She was a wonderful woman who helped me immensely. She worked with our technology, such as it was in those days. She developed and interpreted reports which helped our department understand the many aspects of hiring, turnover, and other matters. Her work helped our department, the university in which we worked, and its employees.
She was about ten years younger than me. She was sharp in her work but also a bright light of creative change. She had young children and struggled sometimes with balancing her hours at work and needs at home. She asked me to consider a unique (at the time) concept of working half-time, sharing the job with another person. This would allow her to better balance work and home. I agreed and it worked. She taught me to look at different ideas to make things better.
The next person was a friend from church. He and I ushered together and we both had children about the same age and in the same schools. We were roommates once on a missionary trip to Central America. I learned that he was a caring person who liked serving others. I visited him at his home before he moved away from our town. He seemed kind and sociable that day, yet he had been diagnosed with a terminal disease which took his life a couple weeks ago. He was a great example of making the best of a horrible experience. I learned from him.
Each of these people were examples of the importance of connecting with others in life. I had not seen them in years, yet I remembered how they both taught me. Thinking of them brought back memories for which I am thankful. Now, years later, I realized how grateful I am for my friendships.
So what do the deaths of my friends have to do with Christmas? I received an excellent poem by Rev. Howard Thurman, PhD part of which might help explain:
The Work of Christmas
The Work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among others,
To make music in the heart.
To me, the memories I had with these two people helped me feel gratitude (To heal the broken, me).Writing this blog hopefully helps in a small way to find the lost and broken, and bring peace to others. I hope and pray that Christmas and other faith traditions celebrated this season may bring you meaning and joy!
At Peace 