
Love is the Answer – Part 1
In these tumultuous and tiring days of disruption and disorder, the sources we turn to for wisdom and nourishment, talk an awful lot about love.
Michelle and her mother-in-law, Pat, at Michelle’s wedding shower
Sadly and oh so humanely, it sometimes takes a death itself to take stock of how your life has been enriched by someone you love.
As you may know from Reena’s recent blog post, Momento Mori and Don’t Forget to Live, my vibrant 82-year-old mother-in-law with whom we shared our home of 12.5 years, died suddenly a month ago. It was yet another reminder of the constant presence of life and death, and how unpredictable the human experience is.
This past weekend, close to 100 of us from near and far came together to remember her in a lovely virtual memorial ceremony, facilitated by New Narrative Memorials. The online Zoom event was a central part of our goodbye rituals.
In honour of our connection and to acknowledge the gifts I received from my mother-in-law, I read aloud at the memorial this list of 15 things I learned from her over the 15 years I’ve been married to her son.
Is there a loved one—living or dead—you might like to honour by creating a list of what you’ve learned from them over the course of your relationship? We invite you to create your own list of 15 things (or 5, or 25!). It would make a heartfelt gift for the living, and an impactful gift to yourself, friends and family members, if the person is deceased.
Death and dying is often the catalyst behind recognizing another person’s impact on us, and it’s never too early or too late to honour and acknowledge the gifts received in a relationship.
With all my love,
Michelle (+ Reena)
What about you?
What gifts have you received from someone you love?
How does it impact you to acknowledge the gifts you received?
2 Comments
I am sorry to hear that your mother in law died suddenly, Michelle. May you find solace, consolation and strength in the memories and love shared.
And I am grateful for your sharing of 15 things you learned from her. For the reminder of how crucial it is to recognize the gifts you are daily receiving from others; how good it makes us feel and how affirming can it be for the person you acknowledge.
Thank you for your condolences Maria and for so beautifully articulating why the 15 thing exercise was so meaningful for me.