Mom, Grandma, Nana
January 21, 1916-February 3, 1998
As the ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.
Then someone at my side says:
“There, she is gone!”
“Gone where?”
Gone from my sight. That is all.
She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side
and she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.
And just at the moment when someone at my side says:
“There, she is gone!”
There are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout:
“Here she comes!”
And that is dying.
God saw you getting tired
When a cure was not to be.
He closed his arms around you
And whispered, "Come to me."
In tears we saw you sinking,
We watched you fade away.
Our hearts were almost broken,
You fought so hard to stay.
But when we saw you sleeping
So peacefully free from pain,
We could not wish you back
To suffer so again.
So keep Your arms around her, Lord,
And give her special care,
Make up for all she suffered
And all that seemed unfair.
(Written Anonymously)