Today is All Saints Day, the day Christians are reminded of the promise of a life after this life. I went to Mass in remembrance of those our family lost this year, my precious granddaughter, Nicole Diane Coleman, and my beloved younger sister, Darcy Grizelda Lambert Payne.
The entrance to the church held a display of photos of people who have passed, contributed by the families and friends who love and miss them. There was a book in which I wrote Nikki and Zelda’s names, so they will be included in the prayers said in church this day and tomorrow, All Souls Day.
Over the years I have studied various religious traditions, and I now embrace a broader approach to my own spirituality, beyond the Catholic faith that was so much a part of my growing up. But there are times I return to the comfort of the Roman liturgy, and today was such a day. The gospel was from the Sermon on the Mount, when Jesus taught the Beatitudes, including the reminder: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
I prayed today for my family, and for Nicole and Zelda. They shared some traits in common. Both were brilliant and funny and exceptionally kind. Nikki was open to everyone, in spite of the challenges she faced. Zelda was intensely private but devoted to the people close to her. Nicole was a writer and a poet. Zelda was an artist who also enjoyed writing. I have a file folder with the beginnings of a novel we thought we’d write together about Y2K and the effects of the Millennium bug.
Most everyone has been touched by the mystery of death. Someone we are used to touching and seeing, hearing and smelling has vanished, leaving behind the possessions that once seemed so important. We long for them, and if we are lucky we may feel their presence from time to time. But they are irrevocably gone from this plane.
I prayed also for the friends I know, both in real life (as we say), and friends I’ve met through social media, for them and the loved ones they still mourn.
I prayed for you, as well. Grief, and the journey back to joy, are our shared human reality. I am sending you love and comfort.