This is that time of year. When I go into that cabinet on that shelf where we keep that basket. This is the keeper of those pieces of paper – mail, notes, cards, receipts, etc. Things we are not ready to throw away but don’t want to take the time to look at just then and we not sure quite where to keep them. So we put them in this basket.
And, over time, that basket filled up with stuff that at some point had to be dealt with. And, today was that day…… so I plowed in.
In the very back of that basket I found a letter from my sister who died in November of 2020. This letter was dated October 2020.
At first I panicked thinking I hadn’t opened it and here was the very last communication from her. I held my breath but as I turned it over and saw that it had indeed been opened I exhaled.
I had indeed read that letter and had a conversation with both my sister and her daughter about its contents. Family drama had upset her. We both talked with her and assured her that all was well. She could let this false memory go.
I wonder if she somehow knew something was going to change drastically for her, and she needed to connect one last time with those she loved. Was she calling herself back to the embodiment of love so that there would be no limitations in her relationships moving forward from that day?
What if I ended each day like that – if the driving force in my life was to make sure those I knew and were in covenant with ended each day knowing how much they mattered to me? If those relationships started and ended with love on a regular and enduring basis?
~Lydia Patrick
Thank you for this. So many times I’ve had family drama that went unresolved and family didn’t talk for years until one day there was no talking to resolve any issues. I’m happy you had that time with your sister.
We all have it, don’t we. I guess it’s what we do with it in the end that matters most.
A whole life is distilled into a moment of clarity at the end…a question addressed to the universe, Did I do it right? Am I leaving this world without wrinkles or distortions that might trip someone up, someone I love, when I’m gone? You are so right to welcome this clarity of purpose into the everyday that we live. Even thinking “what if” brings one closer to the actuality of it. Thank you for reminding us to ask, What if?
Thank you for this encouragement!
Thank you, Lydia, for this beautiful reminder to express and do loving acts for all we encounter on a daily basis.
Thank you for your kind words Peggy.