Loss and retirement

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side, spreads her white sails to the moving 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, hull and spar as she was when she left my side. And, she is just as able to bare 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 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... Death comes in its own time, in its own way. Death is as unique as the individual experiencing it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My older cousin, Cheri passed away this week. She had struggled for over a year with the pain and knowledge that cancer was going to take her away from those she loved and who loved her. Her sons and siblings; her grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins would no longer see her smiling face or hear her happy voice. As I sat in the chapel and listened to that poem by Henry VanDyke, I found myself hoping that when she reaches that other shore she finds a warm welcome, freedom from pain, and love waiting for her in the arms of her parents, grandparents and all the others who have gone before her. This life is but a short stay in the larger adventure that awaits us all. So I will try to be a little kinder to those around me, to say I love you more often to family and friends, to spend more time connecting with people and less time wrapped up in my own little world. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On the way home from the funeral, I stopped in at the Union Hall. I had not seen it since we moved at the beginning of the year. As usual, my business manager, Greg treated me like a queen; plying me with food, drink and gifts. Despite being busy, with his phone ringing every few minutes, he spent over an hour talking to me about the job and my plans for the future. He seemed disappointed that I wouldn’t be running for Recording Secretary for a third term, but I know he understood. I need to retire while I am still healthy enough to enjoy life. I need to be able to visit family and friends before it is too late. Losing Cheri made me re-focus on what is important to me. I want to see as much of this beautiful world we live in as I can. I want to spend time laughing with and loving my family and friends. So that is my goal~~by next year I will have be able to work less and live more. After all, I need something to write about!