What a Gift

In sudden loss
there is no time
for bracing or preparing.
It is just a hole.
A gaping wound.
An unending ache.
The chasm is bridged
with faith and friends
and support and love.
And then we must learn
to carry with us
the goodness and joy
that our departed ones
shared with us.
It is an homage;
it is an honor;
it is a blessing
to carry their essence forward
so that others can know
what a gift we were given.