Farewell to a friend

It’s never easy to bid farewell. We all suffer loss. We all grieve. We all ache. We all remember. A dear friend is gone but never will be forgotten.

Death is Nothing at All

Death is nothing at all.
I have only slipped away to the next room.
I am I and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other,
That, we still are.

Call me by my old familiar name.
Speak to me in the easy way
which you always used.
Put no difference into your tone.
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.

Laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me. Pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word
that it always was.
Let it be spoken without effect.
Without the trace of a shadow on it.

Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same that it ever was.
There is absolute unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind
because I am out of sight?

I am but waiting for you.
For an interval.
Somewhere. Very near.
Just around the corner.

All is well.

Henry Scott Holland - Canon of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London (1847-1918)

PSandsPhotos

To have a good friend, you must be a good friend. You know that’s a mantra of mine. Do the people you care about know how much they mean to you? Tell them often. Go ahead … take a few minutes right now!

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27 responses on “Farewell to a friend”

It’s good to be reminded of this once in a while.

patriciasands January 30, 2013 at 11:47 pm · · Reply →

Thanks, Anneli. I agree we all sometimes take our feelings about our friends for granted and forget to express them.

This is so poignant and true. A beautiful tribute to an unforgotten friend. So sorry for your loss Patricia.

patriciasands January 30, 2013 at 11:47 pm · · Reply →

Thanks for your thoughts, Susie.

Patricia, what a great post. So moving. Love, Kathy

patriciasands January 30, 2013 at 11:49 pm · · Reply →

Thanks for sending the love, Kathy. I hope you weren’t affected by the terrible storms around Atlanta today. By the way, I’m coming to the RWA (Romance Writers of America) conference in Atlanta in July. We will have to get together!

An exquisite remembrance.

patriciasands January 30, 2013 at 11:50 pm · · Reply →

Thank you, Sheri. I’ve always been very touched by that poem and I even used it as the Epilogue for The Bridge Club.

Sunflowers make me think of Vincent van Gogh. That is a good thing. Quite beautiful. jk

patriciasands January 30, 2013 at 11:54 pm · · Reply →

Thanks, Jennifer. This particular friend and his wife lived in Menton, France for 10 years and the sunflowers felt right as a remembrance of him.

A beautiful remembrance. Another friendship step to take recently is to make a friend with someone in need of friendship. Recently, in a stressful time of my own I encountered someone even more stressed and I said those casual words “Call me if you need anything.” It was good to even let a stranger know I care, and now a friendship has begun.

patriciasands January 30, 2013 at 11:56 pm · · Reply →

Julie, that’s a beautiful example of the amazing power of friendship. Thank you so very much for sharing that here. I love that you took that step and a connection developed.

Very sweet look at death, so peaceful.

patriciasands January 30, 2013 at 11:58 pm · · Reply →

Thanks, Chris. It helps to put things in perspective, doesn’t it?

Very sorry for your loss, Patricia. And you are so right. If we want a good friend, we must be a good friend. And we must let those we love know how we feel. Everyday.

patriciasands January 30, 2013 at 11:59 pm · · Reply →

Thank you, Fransi. And … yes … every day! I am SO looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!

Ah yes, the interval.

I actually cannot believe this piece has the tears streaming from the corners of my eyes. It caught me off guard, as death does, so does beauty.

But that interval? It is so very long. And I miss her so very much. *weep*

patriciasands January 31, 2013 at 12:04 am · · Reply →

I hear you, Renée. I have shed tears over this piece too. There are some losses that cause us to weep forever.

Beautiful poem, and one I’ve heard read many times, as I used to be a church organist. So sorry for the loss of your friend, Patricia. Hugs

patriciasands January 31, 2013 at 12:05 am · · Reply →

Then you would have been very familiar with this piece. Thanks for the hugs.

Beautiful poem. Grace and loving parting of ways, yet keep them close. Hugs and blessings to you and the loved ones who must adapt to their new presence.