Looking Forward to the Holidays

Yesterday, November 18th, I attended a beautiful service at our church. A Mass was said for senior family members, both living and dead. The service opened with children bringing candles to the front of the church while a narrator described all the wonderful duties performed with great love by our parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. It closed with two songs. One was about a mother's hands lovingly caring for her children. The other was about a father's manly presence during good times and bad. I mourned the absence of our parents and realized that their passing left a special void during the holidays. That void makes me comprehend how much I miss Mom and Dad. By the end of Mass my grief had passed. I felt our parents' presence and I knew everything would be alright. I am glad that I attended this special Mass because I can face the holidays with a much better attitude. I have a sense of well being as I reflect on all the loving memories I have of our family. Family love is a wonderful treasure. Everything else is dust.