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Brave hearts, you are here. You have traveled
a dreadful distance. You have come,
seeking solace, understanding, hope,
threads to patch what death’s so cruelly undone.
In this place you can relax and breathe . . .
the coats of others’ expectations taken off.
Walk into these few hours as into an oasis
where draughts of love and memories can be quaffed.
In this place all names can be spoken;
in this place each one’s story may be told.
We will not be discouraged by your sorrow;
in this place ALL feelings, we enfold.
Here laughter does not mean we are forgetting;
we do not count how many tears are shed.
Both fuel us, fellow travelers, give us courage,
for the long and winding road that is ahead.
And those we love are pleased we are together,
smile down on us, and bless this day,
glad for every tiny step we’re taking
and send their light to guide us on our way.
Traveling with us as we journey onward,
sending strength for what the miles may bring,
they are a part of everything we do that matters -
in every dance we dance, and every song we sing.
Written for The Compassionate Friends and printed with permission
by Genesse Bourdeau Gentry
from Catching the Light – Coming Back to Life after the Death of a Child
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