Our Family - September 29 2012

A BIG, BIG Thank-you to these people for Gifting us with A Family Photo Shoot! (Tabatha Kahn, Angela Krebs, Karen McQuade, Lisa Klix, Michelle Potts, Rachel Friesen, Chelsey Roberts) Two years ago, a friend of a friend met us at the Rotary Flames House and did a photo shoot with our daughter Rachel. It was a day or two after Rachel went through the very first of many heart 'spells', obviously a distressing experience for all of us. The pictures she took that day are still so precious. And this Fall, we were blessed by these family pictures! The lamb stuffy in the picture was Rachel's and for us represents the truth that she is still very much a part of our family and our hearts. Thank-you Rachel Friesen for the wonderful idea of including something of hers...

A few days ago, I was looking for ideas on how to end off the second book of the Blog and have it printed. And I came across the Funeral bulletin. Now the last two pages of Rachel's story holds this family picture and the following poem. I thought it was fitting...and I like it so much that I'm going to put it here too!

Nothing can make up for the absence of someone we love-

And it would be wrong to find a substitute-

We must simply hold out and see it through-

That sounds very hard at first but at the same time it is a great consolation-

For the gap-

As long as it remains unfilled-

Preserves the bond between us-

It is nonsense to say that God fills the gap-

God does not fill it-

But on the contrary keeps it empty-

And so helps us to keep alive our former communion with each other

Even at the cost of pain.

The dearer and richer our memories,

The more difficult the separation.

But gratitude changes the pangs of memory

Into tranquil joy.

The beauties of the past are borne,

Not as a thorn in the flesh,

But as a precious gift in themselves.

by Dietrich Bonhoeffer