Stories live and die, that is their nature. The magic begins with one word and ends with one word. Everything that unfolds between those two words is a gift. Then there are really good stories. They keep you company long after you've met the final word.
Listen closely. Her name is Sarah. This is her story and the story of her mother.
"My mother was born in Gary, IN on November 22, 1923. She had 7 children. 4 girls and & 2 boys. She had me when she was 40 years old. She ended up having a miscarriage between my brother & I. We had prayer together as a family when I was a child. Whenever I was sick she always prayed for me. Even though we had our problems, she loved me unconditionally. Right before she died, she told me she loved me. Mom I want you to know that I love & miss you so much."
Lucy Anne Hurston, an author, spoke at my graduation. She conveyed something about death and something greater about life. She told us that there would be one important mark on our gravestone. Sandwiched between two dates, there would be a dash -
For all of us, there is a dash. That tiny dash represents all that we accomplished, all the lives we were able to touch, all the difficulties we faced, and with any luck, all the difficulties we overcame.
Sarah, your mother's dash is a beautiful one. I know this from the way you write about her. It seems she truly impacted your life. I said that really good stories keep you company long after you've met the final word, and I find this to be true for people as well. We may lose the ones we love, but our memories of them - of how they affected us - we never lose that.
The beauty of unconditional love is that, no matter the circumstances, your mother's love is still there to comfort you. You just have to remember her love, that she would want you to be okay. You can lose a person but I don't think you can lose love like that. I write this post in honor of your mother.
Sarah, these words are my prayer.
It may not be perfect, but I find that the best prayers rarely are. I hope my words find you and I hope you find strength in them. And when you find your strength, be sure to fill your dash with something incredible -
