The mention of my child’s name
May bring tears to my eyes,
But never fails to bring music to my ears.
If you are really my friend,
Let me hear the beautiful music of his name.
It soothes my broken heart and sings to my soul
-
Author unknown
ON DEATH - Kahlil Gibran
You
would
know
the
secret
of
death.
But
how
shall
you
find
it
unless
you
seek
it
in
your
heart
of
life?
The
owl
whose
night-
bound
eyes
are
blind
unto
the
day
cannot
unveil
the
mystery
of
light.
If
you
would
indeed
behold
the
spirit
of
death,
open
your
heart
wide
unto
the
body
of
life.
For
life
and
death
are
one,
even as the river and the sea are one.
In
the
depth
of
your
hopes
and
desires
lies
your
silent
knowledge
of
the
beyond;
And
like
seeds
dreaming
beneath
the
snow
your
heart
dreams
of
spring.
Trust
the
dreams,
for
in
them
is
hidden
the
gate
to
eternity.
Your
fear
of
death
is
but
the
trembling
of
the
shepherd
when
he
stands
before
the
king
whose
hand
is
to
be
laid
upon
him
in
honour.
Is
the
shepherd
not
joyful
beneath
his
trembling,
that
he
shall
wear
the
mark
of
the king? Yet is he not more mindful of his trembling?
For
what
is
it
to
die
but
to
stand
naked
in
the
wind
and
to
melt
into
the
sun?
And
what
is
it
to
cease
breathing,
but
to
free
the
breath
from
its
restless
tides,
that
it
may
rise
and
expand
and
seek
God
unencumbered?
Only
when
you
drink
from
the
river
of
silence
shall
you
indeed
sing.
And
when
you
have
reached
the
mountain
top,
then
you
shall
begin
to
climb.
And
when
the
earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.
Quotes:
The fear of death follows the fear of life. A man who
lives fully is prepared to die at any time.
~ Mark Twain
Some people are so afraid to die that they never begin to live.
~ Henry Van Dyke
To
fear
death
is
nothing
other
than
to
think
oneself
wise
when
one
is
not.
For
it
is
to
think
one
knows
what
one
does
not
know.
No
one
knows
whether
death
may
not
even
turn
out
to
be
the
greatest blessings of human beings. And yet people fear it as
if they knew for certain it is the greatest evil.
~ Socrates
Of
course
you
don't
die.
Nobody
dies.
Death
doesn't
exist.
You
only
reach
a
new
level
of
vision,
a
new
realm
of
consciousness,
a new unknown world.
~ Henry Miller
What to say to
someone who has
lost a loved one
It
is
common
to
feel
awkward
when
trying
to
comfort
someone
who
is
grieving.
Many
people
do
not
know
what
to
say
or
do.
The
following
are
suggestions
to
use as a guide.
Acknowledge
the
situation.
Example:
"I
heard
that
your_____
died."
Use
the
word
"died"
That
will
show
that
you
are
more
open
to
talk
about
how
the
person
really
feels.
Express
your
concern.
Example:
"I'm
sorry to hear that this happened to you."
Be
genuine
in
your
communication
and
don't
hide
your
feelings.
Example:
"I’m
not
sure
what
to
say,
but
I
want you to know I care."
Offer
support.
Example:
"Tell
me
what
I
can
do
for
you."
Ask
how
he
or
she
feels,
and
don't
assume
you
know
how
the
bereaved
person
feels
on
any
given
day.
Source: American Cancer Society
What to avoid saying to someone
who has lost a loved one
I
know
how
you
feel.
One
can
never
know
how
another
may
feel.
You
could,
instead,
ask
your
friend
to
tell
you
how he or she feels.
It's
part
of
God's
plan.
This
phrase
can
make
people
angry
and
they
often
respond
with,
‘What
plan?
Nobody
told me about any plan.’
Look
at
what
you
have
to
be
thankful
for.
They
know
they
have
things
to
be
thankful
for,
but
right
now
they
are
not important.
He's
in
a
better
place
now.
The
bereaved
may
or
may
not
believe
this.
Keep
your
beliefs
to
yourself
unless
asked.
This
is
behind
you
now;
it's
time
to
get
on
with
your
life.
Sometimes
the
bereaved
are
resistant
to
getting
on
with
because
they
feel
this
means
forgetting
his
or
her
loved
one.
In
addition,
moving
on
is
easier
said
than
done.
Grief
has
a
mind
of
its
own
and
works
at
its
own
pace.
Statements
that
begin
with
‘You
should’
or
‘You
will.’
These
statements
are
too
directive.
Instead
you
could
begin
your
comments
with:
‘
Have
you
thought
about...’
or
‘You might...’
Source: American Hospice Foundation
© Copyright 2018 Vince Leitao. All rights reserved
The mention of his name - by an unknown author
