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| - my beloved father-in-law on one of the countless walks we shared - |
One week ago today, I was both honored and humbled to witness a beloved's final breaths.
Such intimate and sacred moments, meant only for those who knew and truly loved him through the years...
I memorized his strong yet gentle hands...
I memorized his perfect rosebud lips...
"Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there.
I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die."
- Mary Elizabeth Frye (1905-2004)
