Threnody

 This, from Word of the Day. 

Threnody: a poem, speech, or song of lamentation, esp. for the dead.

Plenty of that here, and appropriate for those who remember a lost family member who served in the armed forces. You can find Ralph Waldo Emerson's famous threnody for his son, who died at five from Scarlet fever here and an explanation of his words here.


Wishing peace upon this earth, this Memorial Day.

On Passing a Graveyard

On this Memorial Day, I am remembering and honoring those who died in service. 

On Passing a Graveyard (by John O'Donohue)

May perpetual light shine upon
The faces of all who rest here.

May the lives they lived
Unfold further in spirit.

. . . .

May we reverence the village of presence
In the stillness of this silent field.

Through the Lens of Bereaved Mother

I was traveling on business this weekend and managed to fit in a visit with an old friend in Nashville. It's clear that my new experiences are viewed through a new lens--the lens of a bereaved mother. In a walk through a park in downtown Nashville, where they had the replica of the Parthenon and other Nashville memorials, I remark that I'd like to walk back to the entrance of the park to take pictures of a statue. "Really, I don't think there's a statue there," my friend tells me. "It's a memorial and I'd like a picture," I insist. So, we drive back around to the entrance and she remarks about how many times she's been to this park and never noticed it before. But, for me, it seemed to clear why I not only noticed it, but needed to go there and take pictures to share with my fellow bereaved mothers--especially those of you who have lost your children in war.

I would have spent more time in some silence at this memorial and in reflection of those who are lost, but my friend doesn't have my lens and when I was done snapping pics, it was "OK, let's get some lunch." And it was OK, I don't expect others to join me in my way of seeing the world. I only wish to share those and have the opportunity to express them.

In Memory

I'm reflective today and hugging the moms and dads whose babies of any age died on this day in 2001.