Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return
I have always tried to keep religion out of my posts and out of my everyday conversations with people. I guess I feel that I have my religion and others have their religions and why should I impose my religion onto them? But this afternoon I find that the words from the Book of Common Prayer explain best the emotions I have.
My mom always cried during the Ash Wednesday service especially during the imposition of ashes where they mark your forehead with a cross and say, "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." I never really understood what was so sad about remembering that someday I would return to dust but today I understand more throughly why she always cried. Death is a funny thing; something I both take for granted and fear. It isn't so much *my* death that I fear but rather the death of those that I love. My father's best friend died this morning. He was only a few months older than my father. They grew up together. They walked to school together, played in band together, went on dates together and my father served as Jim's best man in his wedding. Last spring I interviewed him for a project on friendship. It's hard to understand, to accept, to believe. "We thank you for giving him to us, his family and friends, to know and to love as a companion on our earthly pilgrimage."
From my project's introduction:
"I chose to interview my father and his childhood friend because I grew up hearing about all the crazy things my father did with Jim. I originally intended to interview only Jim but he was very reluctant to do so and my father suggested that I interview them both together. In retrospect I am very glad that I did not interview only Jim because getting the chance to listen to the two of them interact was one of the most enjoyable aspects of interviewing them. I am in complete awe of their being able to maintain a friendship that was established over 50 years ago and can only marvel at all the chance events that came together to make their friendship possible. When it comes to summing up their friendship I am left with only hope that some of the friendships I established in high school will continue with the same length that my father's friendship with Jim has."
Rest eternal grant to him, O Lord;
And let light perpetual shine upon him.
May his soul, and the souls of all the departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
My mom always cried during the Ash Wednesday service especially during the imposition of ashes where they mark your forehead with a cross and say, "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." I never really understood what was so sad about remembering that someday I would return to dust but today I understand more throughly why she always cried. Death is a funny thing; something I both take for granted and fear. It isn't so much *my* death that I fear but rather the death of those that I love. My father's best friend died this morning. He was only a few months older than my father. They grew up together. They walked to school together, played in band together, went on dates together and my father served as Jim's best man in his wedding. Last spring I interviewed him for a project on friendship. It's hard to understand, to accept, to believe. "We thank you for giving him to us, his family and friends, to know and to love as a companion on our earthly pilgrimage."
From my project's introduction:
"I chose to interview my father and his childhood friend because I grew up hearing about all the crazy things my father did with Jim. I originally intended to interview only Jim but he was very reluctant to do so and my father suggested that I interview them both together. In retrospect I am very glad that I did not interview only Jim because getting the chance to listen to the two of them interact was one of the most enjoyable aspects of interviewing them. I am in complete awe of their being able to maintain a friendship that was established over 50 years ago and can only marvel at all the chance events that came together to make their friendship possible. When it comes to summing up their friendship I am left with only hope that some of the friendships I established in high school will continue with the same length that my father's friendship with Jim has."
Rest eternal grant to him, O Lord;
And let light perpetual shine upon him.
May his soul, and the souls of all the departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.