We've had a week of sunny early autumn here. The summer colours are fading out and autumn slowly creeping in. Flowers are withering and the trees have started dropping a few leaves, but the green is still dominating the picture. We've had chilly mornings, but sunny and warm afternoons - with lots of butterflies still fluttering about in the town parks! (see yesterday's post)
The sunny weather is probably coming to an end - it started to rain this afternoon. But just a couple of hours earlier, while the sun was still shining, my brother and I (and my brother's dog!) managed to 'squeeze in' a walk in the countryside and woods near where our dad lives. (And I had my camera with me!)
Between sunny walks, it has been a busy week with some "heavy" things to do. I finally got myself together to order the headstone for my mother's grave - one of those things I've kept putting off. I did that on Friday, still without having visited her grave since the funeral, which was over three months ago now. I can't get there by myself; and those short weekends that my brother has been here (at my dad's) in between, there have been a thousand things to do. (P has been to the grave but without me.) Today, however, we finally managed to fit that in as well.
Since mum's funeral in June, only one more grave has been added to that row, quite recently... There were lots of flowers, candles and a photograph at the temporary cross on that grave. It was a bit of a shock when we realized this must be the grave of a teenage girl whose tragic death was in the papers recently - she was murdered by a boy her own age (which really makes it a double tragedy).
Mum got to be 79. She is missed, and her death was kind of sudden, but not a tragedy: She had come to the end of her life. But that young girl's life was brutally taken from her, and much too soon... How her friends and family are dealing with that, I can't even begin to imagine!
On our walk later in the day, we passed a Neolithic cist tomb from c. 1800-1500 b.C. That again gives some perspective... It's been a strange day, with a lot of mixed feelings!
For everything there is a season,
And a time for every matter under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to throw away;
A time to tear, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate,
A time for war, and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
4 comments:
I love that piece from Ecclesiastes and so fitting for your moving post.
I, too, absolutely treasure this Scripture. It is one that reminds us that our life is in His Hands, to love and to rest...to grow...to wait...to breath.
I wasn't aware that your mother passed on a few month's ago and am also know not of your relationship with her; but I know that the next year to come will be one of reflection for you. The days are busy and flow quickly in the beginning, even though there are moments that seem to last too long.
May you find at every turn, the One who is walking closely with you always.
Love to you.
I too had failed to pick up that you had lost your Mother so recently. Have I been following you such a short time? It seems like I know you much better than that. It just goes to show you.
I had forgotten this was a Biblical quote.
I still find it hard that the Bible spends so much time on vengeance. And 'A time to hate'? Hmmm.
Scriptor, Heather, GB - thanks for your comments!
GB, I also feel like I've known you longer. But I think we only started following each other after I joined the "Soaring throuh the world" blog. (I checked just now and my introduction post there is dated 13 July. Mum's funeral was 11 June, a whole month before that!) I did know a little bit about you before that though, from Scriptor's blog. All in all, Time has been behaving very oddly for me this summer...
That passage from Ecclesiastes... I see that as a summary of "how it is", rather than as an instruction how it ought to be... The Bible is a very "honest" book that way; it does not flinch from harsh reality, or extreme emotions.
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