To look at the tree in my friend’s backyard, you wouldn’t think it was anything special. But to my friend and her family, the tree honors the life of one who was miscarried.
The family planted a sapling in memory of one who was not.
Over time the tree has also sheltered many birds and a few squirrels, providing sanctuary to some of God’s creatures and offering shade on sunny, warm days. The tree has been and continues to be a sacred space. Time will be, however, when a new family lives in that house and enjoys that same backyard.
That new family won’t know about the miscarriage and its connection to that tree.
Look around you
To look at the street sign–Catherine Street–one might think it’s simply a marker, a name, just like First Avenue or Main Street. A passerby, either on foot or in a vehicle, likely wouldn’t know that Catherine was the young daughter of the general contractor for that original development, a daughter whose life was cut short by a tragic accident.
But to Catherine’s family, that street name is a reminder of the laughter and love a young girl brought to them. The street name is a sacred, silent witness.
[bctt tweet=”Look around you this day. Scan the horizon with the sacred lens of your soul.”]
Look around you this day. Scan the horizon with the sacred lens of your soul.
You need not know all the stories of your place–stories that extend back decades and centuries–in order to honor the sacred that is present. Remember that others have walked where you walk, have lived where you live, have experienced love and loss just as you.
This day honor them and all creation, thanking God, the creator of all.
Linda Post Bushkofsky is executive director of Women of the ELCA. If you enjoy our blogs, Donate Now.
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Photo: By mtnbikrrrr CC BY-NC-ND
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