Tuesday, July 20, 2004

Life and Death

My Grandma passed away yesterday (Monday).  I got called out of church on Sunday morning - Amy and I ran over to the hospital where the whole family was waiting and visiting.  We all got our chances to see her and talk to her one more time.  She started getting better (or at least stable) so we all went home Sunday Night.  Then we got the call yesterday afternoon. 
 
It's interesting how grief, although an absolutely crucial process, is a self-centered experience.  WE are sad the person won't be around.  WE are going to miss them.  When I say that it's self-centered, I'm not saying that's a BAD thing.  It is what it is.   We just also need to think about the great life that person has lived... the blissful experience in which they currently find themselves...
 
I close with the poet Rumi: "When I die I shall soar with the angels, And when I die to the angels, what I shall become, You cannot imagine."
 
I believe that what he is saying here is: 'I have an idea of what things will be like when my soul passes from this life to the next, but when I die to that idea, then what will really happen will be beyond my wildest dreams.'

1 comment:

Danielle said...

I could write all the trite phrases that get thrown around in times like this, but I'll just go with the simple "I'm sorry."

I also found it interesting that you quoted poetry. A client of ours is writing a book on laments, and I just recently heard him say that all (or almost all) of the laments in the Bible were originally set to music or are poetry of some sort. And he pointed out how interesting it is that, as humans, our response to grief, sorrow and pain is often in the form of music or poetry.