This weekend a dearest friend and godmother to my daughter passed away after a long battle with cancer. I met her in the sea in greece 7 years ago and our friendship was intense and her love for my daughter inmense. She was a great artist, photographer, photographing with an eye to behold for the future. She was a devout christian and helped me through the maze of complex greek orthodox rituals. We often spoke of the closeness of the catholic and orthodox traditions and how this would evolve in my daughter.
With her passing I cried not for her death but for the missed opportunities to be more together to enjoy life. How often would we try to arrange a visit and would work or other activities creep in.
By chance I fell on a BBC programme which documented 6 people, believers and nonbelievers, who voluntarily went on a retreat to rediscover silence. They were told to switch off all machines and to learn to be in the silence. Their biggest realisation was how we stuff our lives in order to be busy, hence risking to bypass the truly essential things in our lives.
Today I feel that more than ever, as in this world I will not see my dearest friend again. I will treasure those moments I passed with her, and feel blessed forever.
pie jesu by faure
May she rest in peace
So sorry to hear about your loss. I am sure that your faith will sustain you and that you will find comfort there.
ReplyDeleteTo pick up your point about silence: one of the best things I ever did was to go on a retreat in a "Foyer de Charité" - six days of silence! Of course there were "lessons", services and prayers, but the participants in the retreat were there to listen, to pray and to be silent. We learnt to communicate with each other by being extra observant and looking out for each other, which was quite an education in itself! If you can get away, I would certainly recommend such a retreat. http://www.foyer-de-charite.com/index.php
For some obscure reason my name here comes up as "Paroisse de Pleudihen" - but I'm Caroline Tracey (Schoon that was), from Runnymede College!
thank you for your words. i have been looking at retreats and would like to do one so will look up your link!
DeleteIf you go to the "Foyer de Charité" in Tressaint, that's just down the road from where we live and we'll be able to meet up - come and stay with us before and/or after the retreat!
Deletesounds wonderful i might just pick you up on that
DeleteGreat, I hope you do!!!
DeleteIf you go to the Foyer de Charité in Tressaint, that's just down the road from us and you could stay with us before and/or after your retreat!
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ReplyDeleteVéro
thank you vero!
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