It happens you know?

We die many Deaths before the one that actually stops our hearts,

silences our minds and completes un-whispered thoughts

with the promise of not one more inhaled breath.        .        .

W  E    D  I  E.        .        .

I did just a few hours ago.      .       .

I was actually working on this post

(WELL, ANOTHER ONE BEFORE THE PHONE CALL)

when my Cell phone rang.     .     .

I noticed it was the number of a Funeral Home.      .      .

(Some   have   me   on   Speed   Dial)

The words he said

are words that literally make me wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat?

“WHERE      ARE      YOU      AT?”

I was planning to do a memorial service for a family on FRIDAY NIGHT

and they and the Funeral Director

decided to change it to a night earlier—-

WITHOUT       TELLING       ME!

Let’s get something straight,

right away—a Confession of sorts—

The Writer and the Reader of this Blog

ARE      NOT      PERFECT.        .        .

THEY make Mistakes—-

lots   of   them!

With my heart still pounding

(for something that wasn’t my fault this time)

just a mere 15 minutes before the service was to begin,

I told him I could throw my suit on and get to his place within a half-an-hour.       .       .

(I was able to do it in 27 minutes)

When I arrived,

I met her husband of 57 years

and her children

and after apologizing for me being late,

we began the service.        .       .

My heart had been successfully resuscitated.        .        .

It beats best when I speak. . .

when I do Services.        .        .

under pressure.       .       .

I can’t rightly explain

H  O  W   it’s a Gift;

I just know   T H A T   it’s a Gift

and it’s when I absolutely feel most alive,

B U T.           .           .

that’s not really what this Post is about at all.        .        .

Sometimes the worst deaths

take place way before our hearts stop beating.      .      .

When we make mistakes.         .         .
When we don’t own mistakes.         .         .
When we hurt another.         .         .
When we’re hurt by another.          .          .
When prayers aren’t answered and dreams realized.          .          .
When disappointments taunt and unfulfilled anticipations haunt.         .         .
When steps have been taken but lead to seemingly nowhere.         .         .
When Hope is just a Window dressing for Denial.         .         .
When Tears are the Worst Seasoning ever tasted.         .         .
When Shame is Worn more often than Success.          .          .
When Weariness is stronger than Worthiness.          .          .
When___________________.          .          .

What’s      your      Greatest      Fear ?

What’s the thing that makes you wake up

in the middle of the night in that Cold Sweat?

What     S T O P S     your  Heart ?

Open Graves are always a danger for Living

U       N       L       E       S       S

We intentionally bury that which has no Life,       .       .

NO Living in us.        .        .

Some things in us just need to be

G          O          N          E !

It was  S U P P O S E  to be tomorrow night.          .          .

We have many

S       U       P       P       O       S       E  ‘  S

in our Lives that take on Lives of their own—

EXCEPT.         .         .

they are not  R E A L.        .        .

THEY  only feel   THAT   way!

The Funeral that Wasn’t,

W  A  S—

I sat down beside the Widower after the Service

and he told me how great I was

and even after I apologized again for not being able to say what he really needed to hear,

he assured me that my words

were exactly what he needed

and couldn’t believe having not met him or his deceased wife of 57 years

how it  FELT  to him that I did.          .          .

I thanked him for Showing me

WHAT WORKS.           .           .

WHAT CAN’T BE BURIED.        .        .

Who.         .         .

who could imagine that Flowers can grow

without being planting first.         .         .        ?

One’s who see Open Graves

not as a Rut or a Tomb,

but just a another beautiful place

to grow Flowers and Plants.          .          .

(And Actually Use them as Such)