Last night I received a message which simply read: Lynn Boyle blog. I don’t know the context in which it was written but it has prompted me to pick up my iPad today!
It’s true to state that the past two weeks have not quite been the start to 2022 I’d been expecting. Instead of immersing myself headlong into our new life at Foxes Lair, I’ve found myself negotiating dad’s funeral arrangements. The strangeness of the times in which we live has once again been highlighted by the fact that I still can’t clear his room and bring his belongings home due to the ongoing outbreak of Covid at the Rest Home where he died.
But as much as it might have a bit of a ‘grey’ start to the year, there have undoubtedly been glimpses of wonderful light. Way back at the beginning of 2020 my brother and I had the foresight to take out a Funeral Plan for dad, through our local funeral director (obviously, in my position, I know them well). This made the meeting with them at the beginning of this week so easy, as did the discussions with my youngest brother and my sister, who have helped in the care of dad over the past two years. Everything was so easily settled and I’m so grateful for that, as I am to the Bishop of Chester for granting my Permission to Officiate so promptly, following my retirement, which means I can officiate at dad’s funeral as I’d planned.
And then today brought with it more glorious light cutting through the funeral gloom – it began with a woodpecker visiting the tree in our garden as we ate breakfast and then continued as I met with a very dear friend for the first time in years. We spent the best part of of a wonderful two hours sitting in a coffee shop catching up on all we’ve missed. We are both looking forward to keeping in touch.
Now, back on the farm, as the sun is shining in a beautiful blue sky, I look out across green fields where a flock of geese are happily grazing and I know I am truly blessed.
It’s still three weeks before we can say our final farewell to dad with all the mixed emotions surrounding that (readers of ‘Secrets’ will understand). In the meantime there is still a period of the inevitable greyness of grief, in its many forms to journey through, but I know beyond doubt that the light will keep on breaking through. I know, because it always does!
When we find ourselves in the dark it can result in us feeling uncertain and uneasy, so we look for a light source. And when the light appears, the darkness retreats. Fact!
‘The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it’ John 1:5
Beautiful xx
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