Blog Your Blessings: Life Itself

Looking through photo albums of my daughter's fourth and fifth birthdays, the other night, I was startled to see just how much she had grown it he past five years.

When she was younger, her birthday party was always a big event for us. We'd invited all our friends and family. Everyone who was game dressed up for this Halloween-time celebration. Her albums are full of an apple-cheeked, smiling, giggly girl who obliged her mom and dad by pausing from the fun and games for mere seconds to pose with aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, friends.


That energy and joy have not abated, but they have found their outlet in homework, music, Scouting, reading, writing, photography as she has grown. Her life is just beginning, really.

After I closed the albums, I checked my email and found a link to the CaringBridge blog of a little girl named Elise who has Tay-Sachs disease. Her mom, Lori, had posted the message that Elise's friend Gabby had passed away.

The picture story of Adella's life when she was Gabby's age lay in my lap when I read this brief post. Though I know of Elise through a mutual friend and know of Gabby only through Elise's blog, I was deeply saddened by the news. What a loss to a family.

"Passed on" is right, I thought. The much-loved spirit of this little child has moved on from her body and will find a home elsewhere. That little soul will take with it the love it knew through the care of her family and all who supported her. To state that she is dead would be to deny the important fact that her spirit is not.


I don't believe God afflicts any one of us with a disease to teach us or others lessons in caring. I believe diseases are a part of the reality of our indifferent universe and how we deal with them is a measure of the capacity of our souls.

How blessed I am with a simple life that stays simple in large part because my daughter is healthy. How grateful I am that my friends who have been the lifelong friends of the family who cares so fully for Elise introduced me to her story. Elise came into this world with a disease that will limit her life but not her capacity to love and be loved.


My God, how beautiful.

CaringBridge
Blog Your Blessings

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12 Comments

  1. And what a blessing the story of her short life is to me. Thanks for sharing it. (Very timely with Thanksgiving day coming shortly for those of us, like me, who live in the US.) You have certainly blessed my life!

    Happy BYB Sunday to you!

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  2. Anonymous7:11 AM

    A beautiful post, similar in some ways to mine and inspired by a similar post elsewhere. A young girl with leukaemia in the UK who is describing her fight and day to day life - and my friend who lost her fight against the same disease two weeks ago.

    I found this ( but didn't use it on mine, but seems appropriate here.

    A Prayer of Oneness

    I release my isolation to the Stars
    Breathing in the Energy that connects all things
    Allowing my body to be caressed by Nature

    Filling my lungs with eternal Breath
    Filling my senses with the joy of Being Alive
    Filling my heart with gratitude for this Moment

    Finally allowing my Spirit to soar Free
    I am a creation of the Universe
    Eternal in my Essence

    In time . . . when my life wanes
    Returning my body to Star Dust
    Held in the body of the Great Goddess
    I will again be the Energy of Life

    Happy BYB Sunday

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  3. Very truly said!

    Wishing you the best week ahead!

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  4. Wow. What a fabulous posting... and a true life's lesson. I have to admit, I'm kinda speechless... As always, thanks so kindly for sharing this!

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  5. The length of life is not what is important. Our pastor brought that home at my grandmothers funeral when he said that it is what is done with the dash between the dates of birth and death that is important. Thank you for introducing us to Gabby, and Elise's story.

    My blessing is online now too :)

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  6. The simple things of life itself keep everything in perspective.

    Happy BYB to you, over the seas and far away, but united today.
    Dxx

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  7. Your posts are always so touching! You made such an important point about Love and the short time we spend here on Earth!

    Happy BYB Sunday!

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  8. Anonymous5:48 PM

    I think sometimes these souls are sent to teach us how to love and to show us true courage.

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  9. Stopped by for BYB. Enjoyed your thoughts.

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  10. Anonymous10:30 PM

    Sometimes I don't know how to comment on your posts simply because your ability to see the beauty in things where others might not is overwhelming. You just taught me a beautiful lesson in seeing God in everything around us, even when it may be very difficult to do so.

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  11. Anonymous7:18 AM

    We overlook this blessing...a simple one really, but one so precious. Who knows what really awaits us in our next life. We should take time to pause and give thanks for these moments more often than we do.

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  12. Somehow belief that those who are flawed are better loved! :P

    amen to life indeed

    ps. great sharing by msdemmie with the oneness

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