An Email I received about `Teacher and Death'

Hi all..

I received an email from an old friend from down in Texas. He had read the last story I had posted titled `Teacher and Death'.

My friend (who I call Parson) is a minister and my story reminded him of a story which he shared that was much like my story. I asked permission to reprint it here and he only asked that I change the people's names. so.......

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Bites,

I took a few minutes to look at your blogs again today, and read the "Flowers" story.

I thought I would share a recent experience here in XXXXXXX.

A wonderful friend and real lady who worked as the Activities Director at the Nursing Home where I have my mom was killed in a car accident a week or two ago. The staff at the nursing home needed a way to grieve and to help the residents grieve, so the Methodist Pastor and I decided to conduct a memorial service there at the home the day after the funeral.

He and his wife offered some hymns and shared some thoughts and he asked me to give a short message.

I took a box of "penny matches" and started out by lighting a couple of matches and holding them up together for a few seconds and then blew them out and let the smoke drift throughout the room (hoping all along that the smoke detector would not go off). Then I read the Bible passage which talks about life being a vapor that soon passes away. After the reading and a few comments, I asked the group assembled to remember the matches and to tell me where the smoke went. somebody said, "Up to Heaven!". I said , "No, it simply dissipated throughout the room. We can no longer see Joan, but her sweet spirit is and the memories we have are still here. Now whenever you blow out a match or a candle and see the smoke, remember Joan."

Then I received this thank you note from her family. "We just wanted to thank you for the beautiful memorial at the nursing home. I will never forget the match lighting, and will forever think of what you said every time I light a match or a candle and blow it out. It really does help to think of momma still being here like that."

I thought you would like that little story since it fit so well with the one you told.

Parson
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Makes you think... doesn't it??