I could not think of a goodbye song to play for my mother.
Melodies flitted in and out of my head.
Surely, there must be a song, something musical to be said.
Instead, my daughter called to say that kisses
were floating down from heaven.
My granddaughter watched the flurry from a church window
on Sunday morning.
She knew those kisses would surely come tumbling down
if she waited patiently, if she stood watch.
Children know that Heaven’s gate is not so far away;
the prayers we whisper find their way home.
How my mother loved the snow!
Yesterday, we buried my mother in the barren earth
on a frozen day, the wind like a knife, chilling.
Today, I watch the spinning, swirling flakes…
I surrender my quest for music and watch the mystery unfold
as if a goose down blanket were shook from end to end
covering all the bare and broken places.
Peace slowly settles within my soul,
my heart, transparent glass, crystal-clear, knowing.
What is love, this thing that brings us to our knees?
I kneel in silence, my prayers the song I longed to hear.
If it were a concert, would it be a weeping violin to serenade me
or would it be a flute celebrating the dawn of a new day?
A bright light flickers on this side of heaven
holds my tears captive deep within.
Ice shatters and hearts are broken here upon the earth.
But way up high, far above the clouds of life
crystals of love break free and fall among us.
Grace comes to us, pearls of shimmering hope.
Somewhere, somehow, a beautiful blur occurs
between heaven and earth; the winter-white world of healing begins
right here, right now.
I could not think of a goodbye song to play for my mother.
Still, the music in my soul told the story
and even without words
the notes of love are clear and crisp.
Like a church bell that rings on a cold December night
the Saints in Light serenade us.
The fragile, fluttering snowflakes softly stick together.
A heavenly light above marks their passage…
My mother passed away on the fifth day of January. My sister and I were able to each hold one of her hands as she slipped away. My brother had just spoken to her on the phone a short while before. So, we each had a chance to say goodbye for now. Her passage to heaven seemed swift…One minute she was with us, and then, she was gone. A song did come to me just days after her funeral. I began to hum the lyrics before I knew that I was singing. The only song befitting my mother was Frank Sinatra’s ‘Young at Heart’. I love all of his songs, but this one so surely captures the spirit of my mother. She was always a child at heart when it came to the first day of summer, the first snow, the first magical beginning of anything. She taught me to believe in magical first beginnings, and so, I still do. Even now, even today, when there is the raw realization that she will no longer be here with us day to day…Her love lives on and her song is one that will inspire us always.
Proverbs 31:26: “She opens her mouth with wisdom and the teaching of kindness is upon her tongue.”
Isaiah 66:13: “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you, and you will be comforted in Jerusalem.”
Linda- That is so beautiful and brought a tear to my eye. She would’ve loved it! Your mom was such a wonderful person and will be missed by so many, including me. Sending love!
Thank you Lisa! She will surely be missed, but we have so many happy memories of our time together. My mother was a fun-loving person and I will always remember her that way. 🙂
My condolences for your loss. What a beautiful tribute to your Mom. And beautiful verses of comfort and faith. 💕🙏🏻
Thank you! These passages from scripture do console us…I find much comfort from hymns also. The hymns I learned in Sunday School as a child often come back to me in moments such as this.
I understand. ❤️
Linda, this is so beautiful. I feel sad, yet I feel your love and appreciation for the wonderful mother you were blessed with. Thanks so much for sharing this with us. I loved the pictures you posted. May God bless you and your family. I pray you will continue to feel the Lord’s comfort. Blessings!!!!!
Thank you so very much for your prayers! It is the greatest thing that we can do for one another. The prayers do ‘lift’ us up. My father used to tell me that there is ‘weight’ in prayers and you can feel the immense support of those praying on your behalf. Prayer is everything…Wishing you blessings also!
What a beautiful poem! May the God of all comfort continue to give you peace.
Thank you! I do have peace that my mother is safe in the arms of our Heavenly Father. When I was little, we sometimes spent our Sunday School hours beneath a tree…One Sunday school teacher always took us outside! I remember looking up at that great big blue sky and thinking how beautiful it was. (I think that teacher taught us a lot about heaven…I knew that somewhere above all those clouds there was a heaven and God had a home for us there.)
This is wonderful Linda. Blessings to you
Thank you! Blessings to you also!
The beauty of your words Linda, indicate that even in the midst of grief it is well with your soul. Our music here is not comparable to all the instruments of heaven played around us every day but we do not hear until the time is right and we see, hear, feel, touch and taste God’s anthems. I have pondered this since my parents were promoted.
In God’s time we come to understand many things…but not before we are ready. Just as toddlers take their first steps, we are always taking new steps, learning more day by day. If we keep our hearts open, we see that all the steps matter. We must keep going!
I was so sorry to learn of the loss of your mother; my heart and prayers go out to you. Your opening poem, btw, was a beautiful and perfect goodbye song that you played!
Thank you so very much for your prayers! We are expecting more snow…I must welcome it as my mother did for 87 years, with childlike wonder! 🙂
Such a beautiful tribute to your mom. The song Young at Heart perfectly describes her. I will miss her ever present, contagious smile.
Yes! I could not think of a song, and then suddenly I was humming that tune. My mother appreciated all the little things and kept that childlike wonder. Anna asked her in the hospital what she would most like to be doing at that moment. Mom said that she would like to be swimming in the ocean and to feel the sunshine. It is the perfect song! 🙂
My heartfelt condolences, Linda. How wonderful you were together. Your poem was a profound tribute to your mother. I especially appreciated these lines: “Instead, my daughter called to say that kisses were floating down from heaven. My granddaughter watched the flurry from a church window on Sunday morning.” When we cannot find a song, there are others who will bring a song to us! May the memories that are with you sustain you on your journey onward.
What a beautiful and uplifting comment: “When we cannot find a song, there are others who will bring a song to us.” You are so right. Thank God for the music others bring to us when we cannot find the words to sing…
My heart goes out to you, Linda.
Thank you! It is never easy to lose a beloved. It takes a passage of time to begin to heal…slowly at first. Today, the daffodils were blooming by my back door before the snow began to fall. Life is like that…we must forever look for the blooms of life even amidst the snow and icy patches.
Pressing your tender, grieving yet thankful heart into the Sacred Heart of Jesus. You gave your all and you gave unstintingly. Such is the heart most beloved to Him. Journeying to that final gate, your mother was not alone, never bereft for she had your love in every form. There is no greater gift than that.
I feel that I too received a gift…I was able to share this precious time with my mother before she entered eternity with God. Even in her last days, she spoke words of wisdom and love. There were hard moments for such is life as we age. Still, she made me laugh and kept her sense of humor. I could still talk to her about anything. I feel blessed that my sister and I walked this journey together with my Mom. I am stronger and wiser…lessons in love are lessons the heart never forgets.
Very stirring poem!
Surely, a poem from the heart! 🙂
such a beautiful loving tribute to your Mother! Such a special lady who will live on in all the hearts she touched, in every giggle at your new starts and those first flurries of snowfall.
Those who spread love and respect are the true saints amongst us 🙂
Love is surely what makes life worth living…the more we give away, the more blessed our days become. Like those softly falling snowflakes, we gather the memories of our beloveds scattered throughout our lives; the snowflakes dance within our hearts and bring us joy.
that is sheer poetry, and such blissful joy Linda … you were so blessed to have a Mother like that 🙂
She was a blessing! 🙂
I’m so sorry to hear about the death of your mother, Linda. My heart goes out to you and your family. The tribute you wrote to the woman whose spirit will continue to live on in you is beautiful and moving.
Thank you so very much…One day at a time is best when it comes to matters of the heart. Our memories do help sustain us in the hours of grief; like a candle that burns brightly on the darkest night, love illuminates our souls. With the help of God, we get through it.
You’re welcome, Linda. I am so very grateful for the memories of my family. They’re what get me through.
You are so right! And how I have loved the family stories you have shared with us! I can picture your childhood Charlie Brown Christmas tree strung with lights, your grandparent’s cabin with all the nooks and crannies…every story and place detailed with so much love and affection.
Oh, that’s so nice of you to say, Linda, thank you!!
Linda, your writing in the past showed how much you cherished your mother. I am so sorry for your loss but so grateful that she passed with her hands nestled in her beloved children’s. I’m sure her physical absence leaves a gaping hole in your life. Her young heart must be dancing with joy in heaven to the music of love.
Thank you for that beautiful thought… ‘Dancing in heaven to the music of love.’ Love is the music God longs for us to sing, both here, and above.
Terrific tribute, Linda. I know this loss will always be stamped on your heart, but so is that blessed hope. God’s grip – Alan
There is much in life that we cannot begin to understand, but we do have that blessed hope!
You got me a little teary over here, Linda. What a beautiful poem and tribute to your mom. I’m sorry for your loss and hope her memory lives on in your heart, full of love and sweetness.
Thank you! Love is a thing that never dies, and so we are blessed with our beloveds. We do always have our memories that return to us again and again, like a summer’s day full of warm sunshine and happy hours.
Linda, I’m so very sorry about your dear mother. Sending prayers for her and for your family. May her memory be a blessing to you. You have created a beautiful tribute to your mother.
Thank you so very much! 🙂 We will surely miss her as we were very close. We appreciate your prayers!
I admire and appreciate your words, released when you knew the time was right. So many blessings in these, I will read this over and over. Thank you, Linda. My condolences for your loss.
It is never easy to lose a loved one…So many emotions seem to bubble up at once. But, in the end, love is the blessing that continues to bless us day by day. No matter what, love lives on within our hearts. It cannot be taken from us. That is a thought that I cling to and it is comforting…:)
I’m so very sorry for the loss of your mother, Linda. These words stood out for me:
“I could not think of a goodbye song to play for my mother.
Still, the music in my soul told the story
and even without words
the notes of love are clear and crisp.”
That love shines through in your post. I’m happy for you that you got to say goodbye and that she went peacefully. May her memory be a blessing.
I do believe that our memories are a great blessing to us. Over time, we reflect on all the joy our beloveds have brought us. Love seems to carry us through in life…It is God’s great gift to us! If we can see the world through the eyes of love, we have hope. And hope, does not fail us. (Romans 5:5). I know that you and your sisters were very close to your mom and you wrote that you kept her little keepsakes around the house. I remembered that yesterday when I picked up a pillow my mother had given me. It has an owl on it and it says, “Owl always love you!”. I thought of you and how nice it is to have these happy little things…
Oh, that’s so sweet, and thank you for thinking of me! 💙
Thank you for the inspiration you bring in your poetry and beautiful photographs. Life is not always easy, and yet, it is so uplifting when someone can express that even on a cloud-filled day, the sun is not so very far away.
💙💙
Linda, You have moved me deeply with your beautiful, spirit-filled poem. It is one of the most beautiful poems I’ve ever read. How mysterious and magical, kisses flowing down from Heaven, perhaps like the snowflakes that melt when they land on our warm skin. I love this image and the others you share in your heartfelt expression of love, grief, and grace. Blessings to you, my friend, You are truly precious.
I wish you blessings also as your words have often been exactly what I needed to hear. I have always believed that very little in life is left to coincidence. And so, I am so grateful for all the people that have graced my life…including you, who always seems to know what I need to hear. I am a little broken, and I know that I will heal in time. Thank you for your prayers and words of comfort.
I’m so sorry for your loss Linda but what a beautiful tribute to your Mother xxx
Thank you! I learned so much from my mother. I am trying some of her recipes I never got around to trying. Last night, I made Yorkshire pudding and it was just as it was when I was a child. God is good! In little and big ways, I am celebrating my mother!!!
I am so sorry for your loss, Linda. Very touching!
Thank you! In these times, I simply go day to day. I try to watch the sun rise in the morning. I love the dawning of a new day. I trust in God’s promises to make all things new.(Revelation 21:5) God is always doing a new thing…I stay open to that, knowing His plans far exceed anything I could ever imagine.
I’m so sorry, Linda! It is so hard to lose a mother, even when they’ve lived a good life and we’re there to say goodbye. Your mother sounded like a lovely woman, and I know your faith will comfort you in the days and weeks ahead. I love the idea of snow flakes as kisses from heaven!
I was blessed in the mom department…I can say that with certainty! You are right…A mom is the one we call when we have something important to tell! They never judge us and they always tell us that everything will be alright. God is always delivering blessings to our doorstep…snowflakes of love, raindrops of pure forgiveness. And so, we go on, doing our best, trusting that God will always lead the way.
Your prosery /a combination of prose and poem – is beautiful and I relate to it so much. When I was about six years old my grandmother died and it was the first time I saw my mom cry. I asked her why she was crying and she said because nanny died but I tried to explain to her nanny was right there. I remember my six year old self seeing nanny in light. She was truly right there with us. It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized I was the only one who could see her. This is what I thought of when I read your post here and the snowflakes. Your mom as you know is always there and around you. Peace and blessings. 💜
Thank you so very much for sharing the story of your grandmother…so beautiful and comforting! I do believe that the people we love are never far away; they live within our hearts and are with us always.
I believe that as well. Hugs to you. <3
🙂 🙂 🙂
Oh, Linda, i am so sorry your mother is no longer with you. You’ve written a lovely tribute of her life. How touching that your daughter viewed snowflakes as kisses coming down from heaven. I hope I remember that idea the next time it snows. It’s a delightful imagining!
We were blessed to have my mother for almost 88 years! She would have turned 88 in April. I do remember that it snowed once on her birthday several years ago. She was thrilled with that! I also love the snow, and so the ‘kisses from heaven’, is a happy thought for me as well.
What a beautiful verse you’ve written to honor your mom, Linda. I’d be willing to bet much of it was written through tears and with a huge lump in your throat. Deepest condolences, my friend. 🌞
There have been some tears…both happy and sad! I am happy for all the good memories, but it is always hard to lose a loved one. Thank you for your condolences..it means a lot to me! 🙂