The uncle of one of Mike's friends was killed in the Trolley Square shooting in Salt Lake the other night. This was posted on their blog, and I was struck by it.
Gone From My Sight
I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her whitesails 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 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. -Henry Van Dyke
3 comments:
It's such a sad, sad thing. I watched it on the news for several hours when it was first getting coverage. This community is just not used to very much tragedy and/or violence. It makes life "real" even in the Utah bubble. I feel so horrible for the shooter's family, the victims' families/friends, the fear that people who were there will now feel for such a long time. It changes life for so many people. I hate violence. I hate fear. But I really like the perspective of the poem you posted. It made me teary.
I've never really had a REAL loss in my life. No one incredibly close to me has died, so I'm not sure that I can even comprehend (well, I know I can't) that kind of pain. Not to mention the senselessness of it all. Terribly, terribly tragic.
I do know, however, that we are lucky to know what we know... My dad sent me a great article he wrote on death, and it reminded me of what we all already know. I love the thought of people on the other side shouting welcomes upon my arrival...
What an amazing poem - In the darkest corners of my mind, I know I've read it before, but it was many years ago. I keep reading and re-reading it. It is a great testimony to the eternal nature of our souls. We are blessed to know that truth.
xoxoMom
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