“Bereft”…isn’t that a lovely word? A bit old fashioned but sometimes the “old” words speak more plainly. And yes, I am bereft. My dear friend Mary is moving away. I have spent years running up the back lane to her house. Even today I shared a piece of coconut cream pie with her. (I had been out for lunch and the pie was so delicious I ordered a piece to bring home). In the last six years I shared with her Harry’s dying and my years of mourning and grief. She listened, provided tissue and wept with me. She will be across town in the future and winter driving in the north country is not always safe for Seniors. I will not see her that often.
I have a tendency to lose myself in books when I am a bit depressed and that is what I have done recently…I have revisited all the Jan Karon books I could lay my hands on…that has included two trips to the used book store and one to a garage sale. I am still missing one and am reading her last one. I understand there is a new one coming out this year but already I am feeling ‘bereft’ and mourn the loss of these familiar but fictitious characters.
Life seems to be a series of gathering together and letting go. Mary is now pulling apart her cupboards, placing in a box, many things she has gathered through the years. She is letting them go to Goodwill. I watched my mother-in-law do exactly the same thing twenty years ago, as I helped her empty her home, and I know I too will play the same game down the road. There is a sort of bereavement in saying goodbye to things that hold memories.
But, there are new beginnings too. Nature abhors a vacuum and those empty spaces must be filled. Mary will find new friends and so will I, but I will mourn what we had. God knew exactly what I needed for the time I needed her and I guess He has decided that I can manage without this “sounding board”, for she has listened and listened…what a true friend.
But there are hello’s along with the goodbyes…hello to a few new friends in the complex, to the upcoming visit of my grandson, to the beauty of the seasons, especially right now as the Peace River Country is covered with a blanket of golden Canola…beautiful, beautiful!
If you are experiencing some loss right now, be assured He has plans for you. He loves you and his storehouse of surprises is filled with wonderful things for you. He knows exactly what your needs are…just trust him.
Photo by Jimmy B via Flickr
