God spoke,

but I did not hear Him,

not then.

Instead, I held you,

propped in my arms

while you slept deeply,

slipping away.

I watched the grey,

heavy sky loom over

the ocean.

My heart felt heavier

than the snow-laden clouds

as my memories

filled me…

your childhood laugh,

nighttime prayers,

sledding down the back hill,

splashing in the ocean,

playing school in the kitchen

(you, the student, I, the teacher).

I held you

and prayed our

childhood prayers

for you,

sang songs,

whispered now-forgotten words

into your ear,

rocking you gently,

getting ready to

give you back

to God.

Only after you left

did I understand

the gift I had been given:

my moment of Grace.

 

Eve Remillard

10/13/2016