A friend of mine recently sent me a message that her father had passed away.
It is difficult as we experience the loss of our parents...our loved ones. Similar to me...my friends' mother had died a few moths prior leaving her mourning and full of grief.
It gave me pause to think.....
We talk about 'loss'. We use euphemisms to sugar coat what it is.
It is death. But to me is isn't necessarily loss.
My father gave me many wonderful gifts. Not the material type...but the gifts of himself. The wonderful memories of an amazing childhood, from an amazing man. A very untraditional man, who made it clear from the get-go, that God and his two daughters were his entire world. He did so in words...and actions.
He loved the power of the written word. He read incessantly - always non fiction. He told me fiction could never hold a candle to what had really happened, history was the greatest source of reading to him.
But....I segue. Let me talk of 'soap messages'.
My dad would take a bar of soap and leave me and/or my sister messages in the bathroom mirror. I loved loved loved these messages as it was the first thing I would see in the mornings. Sometimes, they were simple good mornings. Other were holiday wishes, 'happy birthday', 'merry chirstmas', etc.
After , I moved 1k miles away from home, and I would return for visits, I would find these messages on the mirror the morning I was to depart - wishing me well, telling me how much he missed me.
These messages were not 'savable'....but luckily - he also wrote me a poem every year as my christmas gift. And many other notes written on everything from a scrap piece of paper towel, to a brown paper bag. Whatever he could find - cause that was how he rolled!
I had the foresight to save many of these.
Loss is not how I feel, but loved and treasured for 44 years. And it continues...I feel his spirit near me. I hear his wise words of humility in my ears daily. I share his teachings of kindness, love, nature and life with my children.
And, I continue on the 'soap message' tradition. I leave my bambinos messages for every holiday on their bathroom mirror.
Passing on a family tradition......of love (mixed with some bubbles!! ;-)
