“Sing your song
Dance your dance
Tell your story
I will Listen and remember”
― Utah Phillips
By Bridget Laflin
Congregational Intern
The Soul Matters theme for November is “Holding History.” As I reflect on this theme, I think about those loved ones who have passed away. In the past two years, we have lost more people to illness than any time in recent history. It has had a deep impact on all of us. There is blessing used in the Jewish tradition when offering sympathy to people who have lost a loved one, “May their memories be a blessing.”
And so I recall the blessing of the memories of those who have died. I remember our history together. I relive the adventures we shared, the times we laughed, and the times when we supported each other. I dwell for a time in the love that we shared and regret the times we were distant. I revel in the memory of their life intertwined with mine. I am grateful for the gifts they shared with me; their courage, their wisdom, and their love. I am a different person for having loved them and for their having loved me.
And I think about the future. How can my memory be a blessing to those who remain after I die? What memories can we make together that will bless their future?
And so I offer this prayer: May the memories of those who have gone before me be a blessing to me, and may I live my life in a way that my memory will be a blessing to those who come after. Amen.