The Ship

This writing came to me recently from a new friend and recent widower. Thank you, Rick, for sharing these beautiful words and your story.

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean.

She is an object of beauty and strength, and I stand watching her until she is only a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky meet and mingle with each other. Then someone at my side exclaims, "There, she's gone."

Gone where? Gone from my sight, that is all. She is just as large in hull and mast and spar as she was when she left my side, and just as able to bear her load of living freight to the place of her destination. Her diminished size is in me, not in her.

And, just at the moment when someone at my side says, "She's gone," there are other eyes watching for her coming and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!"

(F. A. Fredrickson)

The memories of our loved ones live on forever in our hearts and minds. I'm so thankful to have had an abundance of wonderful adventures with Troy. May he enjoy the peace of his new voyage.

Love,

Lori