Tip-Off #127 – Pass it on – by William Green

I was carrying two bags of groceries and walking across a parking lot. It was a cold night, the wind was biting, and the rain was falling hard. As I was trying to load the groceries into my car, I lost my balance and fell hard. As I tried to stand up, a car pulled up next to me. A man got out of his car in the pouring rain, checked to see if I was OK, and began picking up the groceries himself. He even picked up some groceries that were under the car. He then gave me a lift. Of course I was grateful and thanked the man profusely. He smiled and simply said, “Please tell them.”

You’ve probably heard it before. It sounded like a revelation to me: to give back to others with good deeds and kindness. I’d seen it happen before, but it had never been said to me. It’s hard to keep gratitude to yourself.

Right now, I am grateful for many difficult times. A friend shared with me a copy of a poem read by a father at the memorial service for his young daughter who tragically passed away last week. Her father’s reading carried emotional weight and depth for all of us who knew her. Perhaps you too will be moved by the poet’s response to a very difficult time and will want to share.

The poet was John O’Donoghue, an Irish priest and philosopher well known for his Celtic spirituality, and I knew about him but not this blessing.

About the death of a loved one

While we must mourn your loss,
You live in the safe place of our hearts,
A place where the storms, the nights and the pain can’t reach you.

Your love was like dawn
Lighting up our lives,
Waking up in the dark
Further adventures in color.

The sound of your voice
Found it for us
New Music
Then everything became brighter.

Whatever you hold in your gaze
Energized by the joy of existence,
You put on a flower-like smile
On the altar of the heart.
Your heart was always shining
Being surprised by things.
Your soul was alive, awake and whole.

We don’t see each other anymore
From the old distance of our name;
Now you live in the rhythm of your breath,
As close to us as we are.

I can’t see you with my outside eyes,
We know that our souls are poured out upon your face.
Smiling back at us from all things
We will improve it as much as possible.

I don’t just look for you in my memories,
Without you we would be lonely.
You want us to find you,
When beauty shines, beside us,
When kindness shines
And music resonates forever.

When the orchids light up the earth,
The darkest winter has turned into spring.
May this dark sadness turn into a flower of hope.
In all hearts that love you.

Please continue to inspire us.
Live each day with a generous heart.
To answer the call of courage and love
Until I see your beautiful face again
In a place where there is no longer any separation,
Where all tears are wiped away from your heart,
And we will never lose you again.

“Death has no dominion” Another poet wrote: Love is eternal.

Note

“If the only prayer you ever say was ‘Thank you’…” – Brother David Steindl-Rast, Gratitude and prayer (1984). Often mistakenly attributed to Meister Eckhart, Monk David, now 97, has inspired leaders around the world, including Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Thomas Merton and Henri Nouwen. He is one of the most important figures in the contemporary interreligious dialogue movement.

“And death has no dominion.” – Dylan Thomas Poetry collection (2024).

To Bless the Space Between Us – A Book of Blessings (2008) – John O’Donoghue, died 2008. “John’s themes of the imagination of mountains through the mist and absence as a changed presence of the vanished awaken our thinking and provide sustenance for our spiritual journey in an increasingly hungry world.” – Pat O’Donoghue (John’s brother).