"And if I go, while you are still here.
Know that I live on, vibrating to a different measure,
behind a thin veil you cannot see through.

You will not see me so you must have faith.
I can't wait for the time when we can soar together again, both aware of each other.

Until then, live your life to the fullest and when you need me, Just whisper my name in your heart...
I will be there."

by Emily Dickinson, American Poet

As we release the spirit,

We hold onto the love.

May love be what you remember most.

Lovingly lifted from Atlanta online sharing

"With the death of every person I love, a part of me has been buried, but their contribution to my being of happiness, strength and understanding remains to sustain me in an altered world."

--Helen Keller

On August 6, 2005, a civil war was declared. You may not have heard of this war. It isn’t marked on a map or recorded in history books. Nonetheless, this war had a devastating impact on the people involved.

Upon hearing the news, The Heart declared war on The Head. The Heart built a fortress to keep away the pain. But no fortress was strong enough to hold back the anguish. The Heart ached and wailed out during the night, “This cannot be true! This can’t be possible! Just look at all the love and dreams we have for this precious child.”

The Head could only say, “Why did this happen? What did we do wrong?” The Head was confused and could not rest. It felt the need to be logical and find answers. The war continued.

The ruler of this land, The Soul, had great concern because The Heart was so deeply wounded. The depths of this anguish threatened its every beat. The Soul feared that in an attempt to avoid the pain, The Head would not rest, and that The Heart would cease rather than give up its great love.

Weeks, months, and years passed. The battle raged. There was fear in the land that the battle would not end. Slowly, as both Head and Heart grew to understand each could let go of the pain without abandoning the love, a truce was arranged.

Then a treaty was drafted in which The Head would rest and embrace the mysteries of life. The endless questions and reviews would be released, so they could face forward to a future. The Heart was allowed to keep all the love and to openly display it. The two agreed that The Heart could build a connection between the before and the after. There would be no putting away of this great love, even long after the putting away of all material things. Together they would build a peaceful place for The Heart to hold these honored treasures. In this peaceful place, the door will never be closed and the love will never end.

The Soul honored the fact they had passed through the depths of this great pain and challenged them to continue to live in peace and to learn new ways to approach the depth of this loss. Despite the battle scars and a full expectation of future skirmishes, The Heart and The Head have decided not just to survive, but to thrive with a deeper and broader understanding of Faith, Hope and a Forever Love.

Touched By Gold

I was thinking how different life is for me
And about the things that will never be
To watch you grow into that fine young man
For me, is now, not part of the plan.

I realize my life will never be the same
Even though I carry on with life’s little game
I can’t go back to where I was before,
That part of my life is now a closed door.

But in spite of the pain I must endure
I want you to know one thing for sure
I wouldn’t trade places with any other on earth
And I’m proud to be the one who gave you birth.

I live with tragedy and sorrow, that’s true
But also a great love have I shared with you
For you’ve touched my heart as no other could
And in your memory there will come some good.

For you’ve left a purpose for your Mom and Dad
To let others know of the son we had.
I want you to know your story will be told
And others will know I’ve been touched by gold.


Carolyn Bryan
TCF/Orange Park/Jacksonville, FL

We thought of you with love today,
But this is nothing new,
We thought of you yesterday and the days before that too.
We think of you in silence and
often speak you name.
All we have now are our memories,
and your picture in a frame.
It broke our hearts to lose you,
But you didn't go alone.
A part of us went with you
The day God took you home.

-Author Unknown

Grief comes in one size, Extra Large.
If we tuck it away in the bottom drawer
where it never sees the light of day,
it remains exactly the same.
On the other hand,
if we wear it, feel it, talk about it,
and share it with others,
it is likely that it will become faded, shrunk and worn,
or will simply no longer fit.
When grief has served its purpose,
we are able to recognize the many gifts we have gained.

-- Dianne Arcangel, in
Life After Loss : Conquering Grief and Finding Hope

It is very difficult to think about receiving gifts from the loss of our child, but in some ways we have. If we could give back these gifts and change the course of events we would do so.

Grieving allows us to heal,
to remember with love rather than pain.
It is a sorting process.
One by one you let go
of the things that are gone
and you mourn for them.
One by one you take hold
of the things that have become a part of who you are
and build again.

-- Rachel Naomi Remen

We learn to carry the pain, but we never let go of our children. We are connected with them forever.

Grief never ends, but it changes.
It is a passage, not a place to stay.
The sense of loss must give way
if we are to value the life that was lived.

– Author unknown

Grief still has to be worked through.
It is like walking through water.
Sometimes there are little waves lapping about my feet.
Sometimes there is an enormous breaker that knocks me down.
Sometimes there is a sudden and fierce squall.
But I know that many waters cannot quench love,
neither can the floods drown it.
We are not good about admitting grief, we Americans.
It is embarrassing.
We turn away, afraid that it might happen to us.
But it is part of life, and it has to be gone through.

– Madeleine L’Engle, in
Two-Part Invention: The Story of a Marriage

“The soul would have no rainbow had the eyes no tears.”
-John Vance Cheney quote

"The tears fall, they're so easy to wipe off onto my sleeve, but how do I erase the stain from my heart?” - author unknown

“There is sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love.” Washington Irving quote

If I am far from you…
In my sleep…
I am with you.
When I awake….
I am alone.

There’s not an hour
In the night….
When my heart
Is not awake and
Thinking of you.

That you…
Thousands of times….
Gave me your heart.

I like the idea that my heart is always open and connected with Clint.