Yesterday I went to the visitation of a long ago friend. She was someone with whom I had developed a special bond 20+ years ago, but due to various circumstances, had not spent time with her since.
As I sat and watched the photos of her life flashing on the screen in the funeral home, I found myself alternately smiling and tearing up. Here was a woman whose inner beauty and joy was a gift that touched many, and I was one of them.
The experience brought a number of things to mind:
- significant relationships don't really die, even though they seem to have passed us by as we moved through our life. Somewhere within us is the reality that was shaped in that earlier time. It is there to influence us for better or for worse, depending upon how we tap into it;
- Occasionally we meet someone and sense an immediate kinship. Other times, however, a meeting doesn't give us any obvious clues about a future special relationship. In both circumstances, however, there is the chance for something new to emerge. Both occasions demand an openness from us. In the first, we need to know if the connection is felt mutually, then explore ways to nurture it. In the second, we may need to look for the latent gifts that person brings with them. In any case, this newly formed connection between two people can, in its own way, strengthen bonds among many other human beings.
- Profound events like death and birth have a way of creating new paths between people. Stories thrive in these circumstances. Old connections are rediscovered and new ones uncovered. The bonds among humans are strengthened.
I'm grateful for yesterday's opportunity to quietly celebrate friends and family.
A KY monk
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