Season of Light and Dark

Tis the season, for our yearly reflection. On things past and things hoped for. For Peace, Goodwill, Joy and for many the time to reflect on their saviors birth, the miracles of Gods promise. It is the time of cold, dark, the shortest days, a season for going inward, retreat until the hint of spring and resurrection of all things green and of all things spiritual. Now we gather close to kith and kin, close to home and hearth and wait for the sun to re-warm our earth, our bodies and our spirits.I awoke again, unable to sleep~ so many ghosts around my bed. The dog is ill, may well be with us only for a few more days. I had to rise, felt the need to be near her and sort out my feelings. It is odd both of the dogs came to be with me late in their days, yet I feel connected with them in many ways. I am not sure who is the comforter and the comforted, but here I am on a dark morning quietly beside her. Waiting for another death, another passing.

I was thinking about people, as I often do .In general the kind of people, the ones who look and do, perhaps beyond the obvious, certainly beyond the ordinary. Specifically the ones who surrounded my loved ones as they died. The young drug counselor, who seeing my eldest as he crawled the city streets vainly trying to avoid death, looking for help, looking for~ God? Looked past what many would have thought~”hey he’s just a drunk, druggie” and called 911. To that ambulance crew who rushed to him, tried their very best to save a complete stranger. They too looked past anything and everything and saw only a man needing help, help that came too late, but help that eased his mothers heart. I wrote to the ambulance company to thank them for their help, for what they do with their lives. By the startled responses I got, praise must not be a common reaction. Praise is what they deserve for what must be a heart-wrenching job, clearly one not thanked enough. I often think of the young counselor, after much confusion on the part of the supervisor, who was afraid of my reason for calling, I learned he was quite shaken by the experience, that he not only called but went out into the night to wait by my son till help came. I think of him often with much fondness, for one who cared so much for another human. I hope he soars; I hope his life is a blessed one.

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