Charleston: growing older
“In many ways growing older is learning how to let go. We begin life with the illusion of our ownership of everything around us, but somewhere along the line most of us come to realize how fleeting is our time of possession. We have. We hold. But at some point we must let go. The bitter-sweet taste of parting, I could not ignore it any more than I could ignore the sound of weeping. And so I entrust all of my memories to the Spirit, to keep for me until they can be returned to me: in another time and another place, where letting go is no longer a need, where the sound of weeping is never heard, and where what is truly worth holding on to is received without the fear of loss.”—Steven Charleston Facebook Page.
Robert’s mother, Elizabeth and her best friend Earle who taught us how to grow old
Bishop Charleston brings a comforting message that the memories, all those names we cannot remember, may return in our life beyond death. He also offers the possibility that the names and memories we have lost may not be necessary for life with the God of love. Both options bring hope. There also may be so many other possibilities we cannot even imagine.
Bishop Charleston continues to remind us that we believe in a God of love who stays with us, beside us, weeps with us, and holds us in the palm of his hand through our joys but also in all the sorrows we encounter. What we have lost, we will again find. But, on the other hand, we may learn that it is no longer critical.
My dreams help me understand this. I have many physical disabilities. I need a walker now to get around. In my dreams, however, I can walk without difficulty. Even sometimes, I can fly! Mainly, in my dreams, I am whole. In our life after death, I believe we become whole. I do not know the form we will take, but what matters is that our God still cares for us no matter what that form takes.
Honoring and telling stories of grandparents and great grandparents