A pillar in my life died last week, leaving my longtime, beloved friend Barb a widow.
As I grieved, I thought of the huge hole in her world: her husband of many decades is no longer physically by her side.
Wanting to offer love and support to Barb, I was drawn to look at the beautiful writings of Jan Richardson in her book The Cure for Sorrow: A Book of Blessings for Times of Grief.
As so often happens when we’re fully present and open, the first blessing that presented itself was Blessing for My First Day as a Widow. I knew immediately that I wanted to share this with Barb, an offering of precious words penned by a widow. What better way to share this with my friend than creating a video of me reading it against a backdrop of fall light and foliage, with intermittent birdsong scattered here and there! You can hear me read this blessing below.
After reading the blessing, I felt a song was asking to be included to close this offering to my friend’s grieving heart and spirit. “May We All Fly Like Eagles” was the perfect blend of message and melody to wrap up this gift.
To J, pillar of courage, strength, humor and love to so many: Fly on, dear one. The heavens have opened their arms to you to enter the angelic realm. I trust you will continue to love and guide your beloved Barb from beyond the veil of this physical world.