One of her dearest friends died suddenly of a brain aneurysm. She received the news of his transition while she was at the carousel in St. Joseph, Michigan, with her two children and their young families. She truly had never before known such a moment of great joy juxtaposed with such profound grief. A couple of mornings later she thought of Joni Mitchel singing “The Circle Game” with its lyrics saying we are captive on the carousel of time.
Her friend liked the poetry of Carmelite nun, Jessica Powers. When Powers transitioned, he was one of her pallbearers. The morning after he passed, while she was getting a trivet out of a kitchen cupboard, a piece of paper fell and wedged in a very narrow space between the refrigerator and the cabinet. She had no idea what it was.
As she fished the piece of paper out she found herself moved to tears realizing she was looking at the opening stanza of “The Homecoming” by Jessica Powers…. sent to her by a friend 18 1/2 years earlier when her husband transitioned!!!
The Homecoming
by Jessica Powers.
The spirit, newly freed from earth,
is all amazed at the surprise
of her belonging: suddenly
as native to eternity
to see herself, to realize
the heritage that lets her be
at home where all this glory lies.
About a year or so ago, while navigating life conditions with her hundred-year-old father, her friend had shared this thought with her:
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Being really present to physical decline and physical diminishment of those we love can bring on strong feelings of helplessness and the desire to try and fix something we cannot fix or change…. we can only share in the seemingly helpless moment. On a spiritual plane we realize that what is happening is normal/human and ultimately transformative if one draws on inner resources.