A Time To Mourn
When Tim Russert died a few weeks ago, I made mention of something Brit Hume said on Fox News about how Russert had consoled Hume on the sudden death of Hume's son. Russert had advised Hume not to grieve for the years he would not have with his son, but celebrate the years he did have.
Now that the initial shock is wearing off, perhaps the Russert family can also come to a point of thankfulness amidst their grief of the years they did have with Tim.
Along these same lines is a story from The Talmudic Anthology:
While Rabbi Meir was holding his weekly discourse on Sabbath afternoon, his two beloved sons died suddenly at home. Their mother covered them with a sheet, and forbore to mourn on the sacred day. When Rabbi Meir returned after the evening Services, he asked for his sons, whom he had not seen in the synagogue. She asked him to recite the Habdalah and gave him his evening meal. Then she said: "I have a question to ask thee. A friend once gave me jewels to keep for him; now he wishes them again. Shall I return them?"
"Beyond doubt thou must," said Rabbi Meir.
His wife took him by the hand, led him to the bed and drew back the sheet. Rabbi Meir burst into bitter weeping, and his wife said: "They were entrusted to us for a time; now their Master has taken back his very own."
When we lose someone dear to us, we may mourn in different ways. We have our individual 'stages of grief'. Though the loss is intensely painful to our heart, we can still find joy in the knowledge that we were able to share and take part in their life while they were here. As a believer, we can also take comfort in the fact that our loved ones, our jewels, have safely been returned to the Master and that we will yet enjoy them again one day.
0 comments:
Post a Comment