The Beat Goes On

Yesterday was one of the hardest days of my life. The day when I had to publicly say goodbye to my mother. My day to day life has pretty much been in a holding pattern for 2 months and I forgot that outside my door the world was still turning.
No matter how sad or sick I feel, the sun keeps coming up, the snow continues to melt, the sky still peeks out with brilliant blue eyes and people continue their usual going and coming.
I've learned a lot of hard lessons in 60 days. I've learned you can't always be the help that you want to be. I've learned that I can lean on someone and not fall flat on my face. I've learned about the genuine goodness of most people and the total unreliability of others.
I've also learned that I will ALWAYS sign an on line guest book even if I barely knew the family involved. I had no idea how much comfort a few words written could mean to an aching heart.
I've learned that even if I have to buy a stick of bologna and a loaf of bread to take to someone's house, I should do it. It isn't the food you bring, it is the gift of your own thoughtfulness that makes a difference.
I've learned that something as small as taking time to attend a service, or send a plant means so much to someone who is hurting over their loss.
In doing these things we make people feel important to us. So, in short I will try to remember that while their world has stopped for a moment, mine does go on and I am called by Christ to give the gift of myself.