A Celebration of the Life of
Claudia Martinez
July 8, 1963 – January 24, 2008
Prelude
There Will Never Be Another You Harry Vaughn
Ringing of the Bell
Introit
When You Were Born Cherokee Saying
When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced.
Live your life so that when you die, the world cries
And you rejoice.
Welcoming and Call to Worship
Welcome Dear, Good People. It is good that you have come this rainy, sunny winter’s day. Thank you for adding your heart and spirit to this service in which we shall honor and celebrate the life of Claudia Martinez.
Let us gather up our hearts and minds and form ourselves into a community of memory and hope. Let us open our hearts and minds to the spirit of Love and Life, the Spirit of God, the Mystery and Miracle in which we live and move and have our being so that shining beneath our sadness, we may once more affirm the joy of life. Let us place ourselves in the care of a Larger Love made manifest in the hands and arms of a caring community and made visible through the verdant earth. Let us trust in a Gentle, Encompassing Love made intimate to us through a still, small voice offering hope and bestowing peace.
Chalice Lighting
The Flaming Chalice is the symbol of Unitarian Universalist faith and tradition. We light it this afternoon to remind us that we are gathered in a time and space made sacred by our love and our grief, made holy by the values and hopes, the commitments and truths we hold and cherish as good and true and beautiful.
In the presence of death we light the chalice because:
A human life is sacred.
It is sacred in its being born.
It is sacred in its living,
And it is sacred in its dying.
I invite you to join in the Chalice Response printed in your order of service.
We light this chalice to remind ourselves to treat all people kindly because they are our brothers and sisters; to take good care of the earth because it is our home; and to try to live lives filled with goodness and love because that is how we will become the best men and women we can be.
Reflection on Life and Death
I am profoundly grateful and feel it a tremendous privilege to have been asked to help celebrate and honor Claudia’s life this afternoon. Claudia was simply a terrific human being. I thoroughly enjoyed her company and her conversation. And, at the same time I must tell you: I wish with every fiber of my being that you and I did not have to be here. I would so much prefer that we were off playing games or music, preparing the garden for planting, or visiting with friends. I wish we were reading amazing stories or walking on gorgeous trails, or that we were doing the things families do to keep the household moving forward (which is a fancy way of saying chores). I wish we could all be off and about doing the things that Claudia loved to do, living the life she wanted us to have.
I know in my bones and believe without regret that the circle of life and death does not turn according to my will and whim. I know that there is nobody to blame or accuse and that the God of Love does not single us out for suffering. I know in my head all this is true; still, in my gut, in my heart, I feel an undeniable sense of not-rightness and unfairness that she should pass away and her family and friends and communities of belonging should be hurled into such sadness as we feel.
We grieve. We are sad. We feel emptied; all because we loved her and because we love and care about one another. If we did not care, then we would feel no sorrow. But that would be an empty life indeed—to feel neither joy nor despair, love nor grief. And if Claudia taught us anything—and she taught us much—it is that life is a gift and love is the first of life’s gifts.
And so, I say that Claudia’s life was no less wonderful, no less beautiful, no less a blessing because it closed in her 44th year.
When we are born, life gives us two commands; that is all: Go forth and live. Return and die. This is the never-ending cycle of birth, death, birth. The same Life force that pushed us out into life, draws us back, like the tide, to return and mingle once more with the ocean of eternity.
Through these portals of birth and death we are given a chance to live. To live, to grow and to explore the abundance of creation. To live, to practice the arts of love and friendship, of creative expression and firm resolve. To live, to know the joys of playfulness and the frustrations of our own limitations and undeniable flaws. To live, to make of our lives a thing of beauty that never dies, and so leave the world a better place than we found it.
The circle of Claudia’s life was complete and full and precious because the measure of a life is not its length, nor the size of our monument when we die, nor the bulk in our wallet or the length of our obituary. The measure of a life is whether we lived. The true measure of our lives is found in the love we shared and the good we did and the comfort we offered, the sorrows we faced and overcame. The meaning and legacy of our living is to be found in the challenges we transcended and the life we shared, and the beauty we offered and the kindness we showed to one another, and the ways we harmonized our living with music of the spheres and with the moral arc of the Universe.
Claudia knew how to live. She was a wonderful mother, the best mother, a loving and fun-loving partner and spouse, a great friend and confidant. She had a power and a presence that belied an old soul, the kind of soul in whose presence you wanted to be because somehow you always felt better after bathing in her light. Practical, down to earth, quick-witted and smart, Claudia showed us how to live with dignity, love and gratitude till the day we die. Her never-ending love helped her stay with us as long as she could; and when it was time for her to leave, her love enabled her to let go gracefully, gratefully, without fear, at peace with the life she bequeathed to us and with the Larger Life to which she returned.
I know this to be true because life is stronger than death, and love transforms grief into gratitude.
Therefore let us celebrate and give thanks, celebrate the life of a remarkable and singular woman: wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, neighbor; our guide, mentor and teacher; our source of solace, wisdom, wit and hope; our model of compassion, courage, calm and enthusiasm, like when she would cheer at Tomas’s and Mateo’s soccer games as if she were attending the World Cup.
The poet writes:
When you are sorrowful look again in
Your heart, and you shall see that in truth
You are weeping for that which has been
Your delight.
Prayer and Meditation
I invite you to join in a time of prayer and meditation.
Gently close your eyes.
Breathe deeply.
Breathe and feel the breath of life coming into you and passing back out into the larger world.
Feel the heartbeat of life pulsing within you. This is an eternal rhythm. Truly, we are part of a sacred whole.
Acknowledge your private loss—what is gone from your life.
Feel your grief. Feel your anger. Feel your fear, confusion, sadness. Without blame, without reproach, allow your emotions to rise and your tears to fall.
Feel also your heart’s compassion, your yearning to comfort and to share the grief of those who suffer Claudia’s death most acutely.
We send our compassion and love to Ricardo and to Camila, Tomas, and Mateo. May our love and compassion flow out toward all members of Claudia’s family, those who are present and those who are with us in heart and mind.
We send our love and compassion also to the people in the communities of her belonging who journeyed with her and to whom she gave so much; to the good people of Puesta del Sol, students and parents, teachers and staff; and to the members and friends of this congregation and her neighbors and friends near and far. May all whom she loved be comforted by the balm of our combined affection and compassion.
Now, let your memories of Claudia float up before your mind’s eye. Remember the good times and the hard times you shared. The trivial and the significant things that passed between you. Remember her. Remember the sound of her voice and the way she moved. Remember her smile and her eyes and the feel of her hand. Remember the gentleness of her spirit and the strength of her character, the power of her love and tenacity of her will.
Remember these and store them in the depths of your heart and mind where they shall forever bring you joy and gratitude.
Remember, too, any sharp words that may have passed between you, the things left unsaid and undone, the love never spoken, the offense never forgiven, and the apology never offered.
Remember these, and then let them go. ... Let them go. ... Let them rise like smoke from a spent fire. ... Let them be thinned and blown away by the winds. Let all things be right between you and Claudia in whose honor we are gathered.
O Good and Gracious Spirit of Love and Life, God of All Names and No Names, experienced as Love, receive gently the life and spirit of Claudia Martinez. May we find a measure of comfort in knowing that her suffering is past and her spirit is now in peace. We give thanks that she lived and moved among us, enriching our lives and deepening our appreciation for the precious fragility of the life we share. May the love of this hour be balm for our wounds of grief, for greater than death is life and more lasting than pain is love.
Let us now pause in silence that we may reflect in heart and mind, each according to his or her own custom and tradition.
We offer these our thoughts and prayers, spoken and unspoken, in the name of every child of every age in every land. Each is the hope and the light of the World. Blessed Be, and Amen.
Musical Celebration
Psalm 23 John Rutter
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the
paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death; I will fear no evil: for thou
art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine
enemies; thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Story for All Ages
Badger’s Parting Gifts Susan Varley
Badger was dependable, reliable, and always ready to help when help was needed. He was also very old, and he knew almost everything. Badger was so old that he knew he must soon die.
Badger wasn’t afraid of death. Dying meant only that he would leave his body behind and, as his body didn’t work as well as it had in days gone by, Badger wasn’t too concerned about that. His only worry was how his friends would feel when he was gone. Hoping to prepare them, Badger had told them that someday soon he would be going down the Long Tunnel, and he hoped they wouldn’t be too sad when it happened.
One day, as Badger was watching Mole and Frog race down the hillside, he felt especially old and tired. He wished more than anything that he could run with them, but he knew his old legs wouldn’t let him. He watched Mole and Frog for a long time, enjoying the sight of his friends having a good time.
It was late when he arrived home. He wished the moon good night and closed the curtains on the cold world outside. He made his way slowly down to the warm fire that was waiting for him deep underground.
He had his supper and then sat down at his desk to write a letter. When he had finished, he settled down in his rocking chair near the fire. He gently rocked himself to and fro and soon was fast asleep having a strange yet wonderful dream like none he’d ever had before.
Much to Badger’s surprise, he was running. Ahead of him was a very long tunnel. His legs felt strong and sure as he ran towards it. He no longer needed his walking stick, so he left it lying on the floor of the tunnel. Badger moved swiftly, running faster and faster through the long passageway, until his paws no longer touched the earth. He felt himself turning end over end, tumbling and falling but nothing hurt. He felt free. It was as if he had fallen out of his body.
The following day Badger’s friends gathered anxiously outside Badger’s door. They were worried because he hadn’t come out to say good morning as he always did.
Fox broke the sad news that Badger was dead and read Badger’s note to them. It said simply, “Gone down the Long Tunnel. Bye Bye, Badger.”
All the animals had loved Badger, and everyone was very sad. Mole especially felt lost, alone and desperately unhappy.
In bed that night Mole could think only of Badger. Tears rolled down his velvety nose, soaking the blankets he clung to for comfort.
Outside, it began to snow. Winter had begun, and soon a thick layer of snow hid the animals’ homes, where they would stay snug and warm during the cold months.
The snow covered the countryside, but it didn’t conceal the sadness that Badger’s friends felt.
Badger had always been there when anyone needed him. The animals all wondered what they would do now that he was gone. Badger had told them not to be unhappy, but it was hard not to be.
As spring drew near, the animals often visited each other and talked about the days when Badger was alive.
Mole was good at using scissors, and he told about the time Badger had taught him how to cut out a chain of moles from a piece of folded paper. Paper moles had littered the ground that day. Mole remembered the joy he’d felt when he had finally succeeded in making a complete chain of moles with all the paws joined.
Frog was an excellent skater. He recalled how Badger had helped him take his first slippery steps on the ice. Badger had gently guided him across the ice until he had gained enough confidence to glide out on his own.
Fox remembered how, when he was a young cub, he could never knot his tie properly until Badger showed him how.
“Starting with the wide end of the tie, it’s right over left, once around to the back, up, then down through the crossover and, holding the back of the tie, push the knot up to the neck.”
Fox could now tie every knot ever invented and some he’d made up himself. And of course his own necktie was always perfectly knotted.
Badger had given Mrs. Rabbit his special recipe for gingerbread and had shown her how to bake gingerbread rabbits. Mrs. Rabbit was well known throughout the countryside for her excellent cooking. As she talked about her first cooking lesson with Badger, so long ago, she could almost smell the wonderful fragrance of gingerbread fresh from the oven.
Each of the animals had a special memory of Badger—something he had taught them that they could now do extremely well. He had given them each something to treasure: a parting gift that would become all the more special each time it was passed on to others.
As the last of the snow melted, so did the animals’ sadness. Whenever Badger’s name was mentioned, someone remembered another story that made them all smile.
One warm spring day as Mole was walking on the hillside where he’d last seen Badger, he wanted to thank his friend for his parting gift. “Thank you, Badger,” he said softly, believing that Badger would hear him. And…somehow…Badger did.
A Visual Tribute
Memories of Gratitude and Love
Rosario Umana “Grace” January 30, 2008
Some call it a coincidence…others “synchronicity”; spiritual teachers talk about awareness, consciousness, presence. For Joseph Campbell they are moments of Bliss: “Find a place inside where there’s joy, and the joy will burn out the pain. Follow your bliss and doors will open where there were no doors before.”
Christians call it “Grace.” The Grace of God. Free, spontaneous it is given to us, it finds us, we let these moments of Grace touch us. Moments of joy, of sorrow, moments of Love.
After Claudia’s death, I have been looking at these moments with her, they have become real again, and in silence I say, “Gracias, Claudia.” Thank you, God, for her, for her life, for moments together. Here are some of these moments of Grace I wish to share with you here in this beautiful Sanctuary, where all we are doing together in her memory becomes sacred.
•Ricardo and Claudia are starting their life together. That night at the beach in Playa Culebra, our Caribbean Shore, we are walking, looking at the shining full moon that becomes hundreds of moons, the reflection in each wave, on the white sand, on the wet algae with plankton touching our feet as we walk and talk about the marvel of the moment together.
•It’s Easter Sunday, 1996, in Montreal. My son and I participate in the Miracle of Life. She is in the tub during the last stage of labour, Tomas is coming out, my son picks her up, rushes to the bed and we both help her push Tomas out. I still cry in joy, all the Power and Strength and Love here with us three with a perfect baby, Tomas.
•Mateo’s birth is in October. Again I come from Colombia to be her doula. We walk up and down the sidewalk by the St. Lawrence River in Montreal admiring the marvel of fall colors near the hospital. Later we have a family party of Life with Tomas, 18 months, Camila then 6, Ricardo and I alternating from pushing to making photos of Mateo’s birth. Such joy. Gracias, Claudia.
•Another moment of bliss. The afternoon light comes from the window looking west in Bogotá. My mother, Enriqueta, teaches Claudia bob pin lace making. She gives her a “machine,” pins, patterns and threads. Now I am connected with the joy of my mom, for we wanted to learn how to do her lace.
•Summer 2004, the whole family is together at last. Alejo is here, Maria, José and their girls are in Canada. We go camping in Bon Eco, Ontario Provincial Park. Our 5 grandchildren play, go fishing, we cook and light the bonfire at night. Ricardo and I look and give thanks to God for this beautiful family of 12, together. Claudia loved camping, nature, simplicity in life.
•Claudia invites us both for lunch to an Indian restaurant she likes. Our son Ricardo is away in Tunisia. As she comes from a medical appointment, cancer is confirmed. We three hug and cry and talk and cry again. We give her comfort and love.
•Back to Bellevue in April of last year we join the queue of family and friends sending them love, light, compassion and prayers from around the world. Their main support comes from here, the boys’ school, from Harmony Hill, from the community of the Unitarian Church. They have found brothers and sisters with love and support, kindness and generosity, time and all the love. Gracias.
I have lived the pain of Claudia’s cancer all these years. Her strength has been our strength. One of her last gifts is to talk about death, what goes on in her body; she shares her feelings, her pain. And Ricardo becomes her word through the blog. What a gift!
As parents, we have been able to walk with her and Ricardo in our hearts each day. During her last days she is surrounded by love, the best support, compassion; we talk about joy in her life and her illness. She has been purified. We all have. The last morning I give her the last Blessing in the name of her mother and mine. Next day she dies in peace, the two of them alone listening to Bach’s Cello Sonatas. In Grace. In the Love of God. Now we let her go. We let her return to Eternal Love, free, joyful, and filled with the Grace of God.
Now she is born to Life Everlasting.
Ellen McCartan
Claudia was my closest friend for three years. I feel sure that she is still with me, giving advice, laughing, marveling at how similar we are (even though our early lives were very different), and enjoying our differences. When I met Claudia early on in 2005, I felt as if we had known one another – as if we had always been friends. I heard her tell someone else that she had felt the same way. Who knows why that happens, but we both knew from the beginning that we had something special and we’d better hold on to it. Claudia was better at that than I was – at showing her love and care and arranging to get together, but not because I didn’t feel the same way. That was her clear strength – reaching out to people and indulging in the richness of friendship.
Claudia taught me what really are life’s most important lessons – to live in the moment, to love when we have the chance, to enjoy life’s spectacular gifts however fleeting, to be present and thoughtful in day-to-day activities, and to get through life’s horrible times with determination, unimaginable strength, and hope. And of course, one does that by giving and receiving love openly.
Claudia showed all of us how life can be at the end, how we can worry about others who are worrying about us even if we are in great pain or confusion, how we can draw people together for strength (theirs and ours), how we can dream the impossible and change outcomes in surprising ways.
I don’t believe there are many people who live life so intentionally, who take charge of what they can and of who they can be. In that way, Ricardo and Claudia were a perfect match, as she knew so well. I saw and felt their love at ever interaction. I worried more about Ricardo many times because of how deeply Claudia loved him and therefore how deeply he would feel her loss.
Of course her three children meant the world to her, and leaving them was – even for Claudia – almost more than she could bear. She knew each of them deeply – their strengths, their individual needs, their passions – and wanted more than anything for them to have normal everyday childhoods – with a lot of free outdoor time! When I think about how Mateo delighted in the beauty of the Cascade Mountains and the sunset to me once while skiing, and when I thing about how Tomas so thoroughly enjoyed his soccer this year – even in our cold, wet fall and winter weather – and when I remember how Camila lovingly described a treasured camping spot near Ottawa and talked of going back, I am reminded once again that Claudia will most definitely live on.
I have so many treasured memories:
•talking to Claudia one spring afternoon in my garden not long after we first met – about our children, life in Bellevue and the lives we had led in other places, travel, gardening, our hopes for the future;
•swimming with Claudia in my mother-in-law’s lake in July, chasing after the boys’ canoe;
•camping in June with school friends, living that moment and not looking ahead;
•attending an East Shore Women’s Retreat where I learned about Claudia’s childhood and family, and we had a wonderful walk in the woods with Sue Dehmlow;
•an evening out with Claudia, Ingrid Durenberger, and Michelle Scanlan, listening to Claudia’s hopes for healing and a unique experience she had had in Guatemala;
•but most of all, I will treasure all the conversations we had – some deep, some not, by phone or in person – but always with a level of commitment and warmth and listening that was so unique to Claudia.
She gave me a legacy of friendship, strength and hope that has changed me permanently. Gracias, Claudita. Te quiero. Te recuerdo. Te echo de menos. I love you. I miss you deeply. I will remember you always, my dear friend.
Lisa Hasse
There are some people in this world who are admired for having the gift to be truly present in their lives and interactions with other people. Claudia had the unique ability to live for the moment and to be fully present in each moment. This ability gave her a deep understanding of those around her…a gift to see beyond the surface. It gave her the strength to embrace her life in the face of terminal illness and to make friends, travel, and continue to dream despite the enormity of what she faced.
I admire Claudia for her positive attitude, always looking for ways to celebrate life…not just moments of obvious success, but all of life’s ordinary moments. Once Claudia told me a story about a road trip she took with Camila when Camila was small. While driving, Claudia became lost and Camila started crying, because she was frightened at the idea of not being able to find their way. Claudia, wanting to comfort Camila said, “Come on, we have a map and a full tank of gas. We are lucky; this is an adventure. Sit back and enjoy the ride.” I love this story because for me it captures Claudia’s spirit and the way she faced life, illness and raising Tomas, Mateo and Camila. Life to Claudia was an adventure to be embraced, good or bad, and its moments, small or large, are meant to be celebrated. It is this spirit of adventure that she shared and has passed on to her family. It is this spirit that draws people to her. And it is this spirit that allowed our families to create wonderful memories in the face of illness.
Last summer my family and I had the pleasure of meeting the Gomezes at an abandoned house that is across the street from their home. For the short time we were there exploring, a neighborhood eyesore changed into a haunted house and stories were invented of the people who had lived there. I felt both fear and excitement as this ordinary house came to life. It is this ability to turn the ordinary into extraordinary memories that I love so much about all the Gomezes. Claudia and Ricardo should feel so proud of having passed this ability on to their kids. I see this gift in them all the time, and I know Claudia’s spirit lives within and around them. It is this spirit that will give them strength.
Shortly after Claudia had returned home from the hospital for the last time, I had the pleasure of sharing the most incredible morning with her. That morning when I arrived at her house I was feeling conflicted. I wanted to be strong enough to tell her how important she was to me and my family, but the thought of it was so overwhelming that it left me speechless. Claudia reached out and gave me permission to say good-bye. We had the most wonderful conversation. All the outside voices were silent, and for that short time we were able to take advantage of the opportunity we had been given. At that moment, I realized, only a truly amazing person has the strength to say good-bye and selflessness to spend her last bits of energy consoling the people she is leaving behind. When I left the Gomez’s house that day I felt happy. I left knowing that although Claudia’s body was tired and could not last much longer, she would never leave.
There are so many things I admire about Claudia that I cannot share them all, but in closing I want to share with you some thoughts that we discussed while Claudia was preparing for her death. Today is meant as a celebration of life and all the wonderful things it has to offer. We are not here to say good-bye but rather to celebrate that Claudia will live on; as a star, a butterfly, or maybe just simply as treasured memories of someone who matters…who counts…and, despite her loss of life, is a winner. Claudia may not have survived her cancer, but she certainly conquered her death. Claudia faced her death with such grace and peacefulness that it allowed those who love her to drink a beer with her, share a hug, cry and let her physical body go peacefully with nothing left unsaid.
Claudia, I love you. I will keep you with me and thank you for being an inspiration to us all.
Musical Celebration
In My Life Lennon and McCartney
There are places i’ll remember
All my life though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends i still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life i’ve loved them all
But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When i think of love as something new
Though i know i’ll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know i’ll often stop and think about them
In my life i love you more
Though i know i’ll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know i’ll often stop and think about them
In my life i love you more
Memories and Appreciations
Words of Affirmation
How lucky we were to have known Claudia! How lucky we were that for a lifetime or for a few brief years she shared with us her particular light and personality! How fortunate for the world that someone of her integrity and caring lived and moved and had her being among us. Claudia Martinez was a gift and a blessing. Her life was precious beyond measure.
We affirm that by her love, her precept and her example, she helped us become the best men and women we can be. Within the circle of her days, she touched our lives in ways immense and small, and each time our lives touched, we were blessed. She taught us how to live lives filled with goodness and love and how to build community through caring and creativity. She showed us how to live according to our values, and how to be grateful for the simple and the elegant blessings of life. She showed us how to find and to appreciate beauty on the dreariest day and how to welcome life, come what may.
And though her life is now ended, surely the good she did, the love she evoked, the beauty and joy she added are not gone. They live on in the work of her hands and the lives she touched, the people she loved.
And so we do affirm this hour that the Life of Claudia Martinez was a blessing to us all. And we do give most tender thanks for her life, her life now come full circle.
Hymn
Lean on Me Bill Withers
Sometimes in our lives we all have pain, we all have sorrow,
But if we are wise we know that there’s always tomorrow.
Chorus: Lean on me when you’re not strong
And I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on.
It won’t be long ‘til I’m gonna need somebody to lean on.
Please swallow your pride if I have things you need to borrow,
For no one can fill those of your needs that you won’t let show.
Chorus
So just call on me, brother, when you need a hand.
We all need somebody to lean on.
I just might have a problem that you’d understand.
We all need somebody to lean on.
If there is a load you have to bear that you can’t carry,
I’m right up the road, I’ll share your load if you just call me.
Chorus
Words of Committal
Now it is time to say good-bye. Now it is time to pick up our lives and return to living. Life moves on. Now is the time to begin to turn our faces toward the sunrise, to move on in our living, strengthening and supporting one another, as Claudia most assuredly would have us do, holding on to one another, loving one another, being gentle and honest and kind to each other, rejoicing in the miracle that is our lives.
Life moves on and we leave our dear beloved not so that we may forget her, but that we may continue to fulfill the life she bequeathed to us. Life moves on. The wheel of life turns. The wounded heart knits together. Life continues. Love abides.
Though our sorrow is great, so too is our gladness, for never has a truly evil thing befallen a soul who, like Claudia, lived life and left it with integrity, good humor, honor and love. And so we do, this hour, commit the essential spirit of Claudia Martinez to the care of the Sacred, Eternal All from which it came, her body to the earth from which it emerged, and her memory to our heart’s gentle embrace where she shall remain as a warm, guiding presence. We leave her in peace, as she leaves us, in peace.
Closing Prayer
Please join in the fellowship of prayer.
Peace, my heart, let the time of parting be sweet.
Let it not be a death but a completeness.
Let love melt into memory, and pain into song.
Let the flight through the sky end
In the folding of your wings over the nest.
Let the last touch of your hand be gentle,
Like a flower of the night.
Stand still, O Beautiful End, for just a moment
And say your last words in silence.
I bow to you, and hold up my lamp
To light you on your way.
Thank you, Claudia. Thank you!
Be at peace, and fare you well. Amen.
Benediction
Go now in Peace.
Go for Peace.
For those of you who know God, may God travel with you.
For those who seek to embrace Life, may Life return your affection.
And for those who seek a better path, may a way be found and
the courage to take it, step by step.
Blessed Be. Shalom. Salaam. And Amen.
Postlude
Reception
Rev. Peter J. Luton
East Shore Unitarian Church
Bellevue, Washington
February 2, 2008
Last night I finally did it: I read the whole blog again, from end to end. I had not been able to do this until now. The combination of a printout prepared by my brother, and a sleepless night in Quebec City gave me the push it required. I laughed and cried as I re-lived the whole thing again, and when I finished I knew it was time to end, to move on.
