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
