My husband’s Aunt Esther has died,
a lovely woman who I came to have a great connection to
through words I guess one could say,
Esther lived farther west, and although we did
have a chance to meet in person
only once, I think
most of our friendship was developed
through correspondence
we talked lots about mothering and
family things
and too sometimes, we talked
woman to woman kinds of things
personal things I’m not sure others might know
later I came to know Aunt Esther quite
humanly
through her lovely, lovely daughters
and things I didn’t know,
(possibly had heard)
and maybe wasn’t completely surprised
to learn
none of which changed any fond memories for me
and instead touched a real tenderness
of heart
this has me thinking today of things we know, of others
things we think we know
of stories told and family lore
and not just family, anyone we know really or come to
meet
sometimes when families come together, and stories are shared
it would appear that
no-one could have possibly been raised
in the same household
I had occasion once to sit with my father-in-law and his sisters
as tales were told
to observe from the ‘outside’ in, I guess you could say
each contradicting the other in attempts to clarify memories of
growing up… All different
as with anyone, and
everyone really
there are
things we know about, sometimes judgements made
passed along
things supposed, often
assumed
things sometimes repeated, but not really
known
things we share, things we
protect
I think as we walk, each of us in an
indeterminate amount
of
a
lifetime
we would do ourselves and each other
a great service
by meeting each other open-heartedly and
tenderly
always kindly, compassionately
and when necessary,
forgivingly
from where we are and as we are,
right now
and as none of us find ourselves infallible
to maybe make this
a little reminder
as this I believe, is quite possibly
the only way
to know love
absoulutely *
*(I found here, in writing this that I had somehow misspelled the word – ab ‘soul’ lutely, and decided to leave it, just as it is) ♥