It is wonderful to me, that I can end this year with so much gratitude in my heart . . .
for my life . . .
for the wonderful world of nature that surrounds me . . .
that I can feel grief without a sense of despair
for the warm and tender people here, who have opened their hearts to me
I feel so blessed
to be ending this year with more gratitude than regret . . .
As the new year approaches
I feel new hope,
and pray that I can accept whatever lies ahead . . .
that I can always find a reason to be grateful
with love to all . . .
sparrow

everything counts... ♥

Sparrow, thank you for beginning this thread. As some of the "oldies" will remember I made a post last year about this time and am posting it again for all those who are new this year. Several friends have also committed to doing this the past several years and each of us is looking forward to opening our letters from last year since it has now become a New Years Eve "Prayer" ritual for us.

"As each year ends, one of our sons would write a letter to himself reflecting on the year just ending and on what his "goals, desires, need for growth, etc.," were for the new year. He would then seal the envelope and open it at the end of the next
year. Right now I look forward to the 31st and opening my letter from last year. Each year, there is always surprise at how much of what I had written has been quietly taken care of by “living the questions,” and how some of it no longer carries any importance. Below are reflection questions for writing the letter.

"As I reflect on this year passing, it is a mixture of joyful or sorrowful episodes, episodes sometimes boring, others exciting or deeply moving. Where did I experience Divine Love and Care in my life this year? Has the year left me with unresolved angers or resentments? How can I enter this new year with a peaceful heart? Where was the Divine in all the personal experiences, both "good" and "bad" which, unforced, leap into my memory? Did I recognize the Divine in them at the time? Can I work through them now in prayer/meditation? What healing, growth, forgiveness do I need from the Holy One during this coming new year? What mysteries in my life do I need the Divine to walk through with me?

Where do I need "to have patience with everything unresolved in my heart, to love the questions themselves as though locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language." (Rilke)

When the letter is finished, seal it or tuck it away on your computer til December 31,2009 with a reminder set to take it out and read it.

In this coming year may we all experience the blessing of the Divine upon all creation and upon each of us.

Yesterday is gone forever.Tomorrow may not come. Live Fully each moment today. Look for Good Things that Happen to you Every Day.

Dear Betty . . .
Thank you for this.
I have copied and pasted the body into a file on my computer and plan on spending the next few days thinking about the questions posed before I write my own letter . . . this is a way of ending one year and starting a new one without the agony of "resolutions" which are so quickly broken.
What a wonderful idea.
with love . . .
sparrow
 

everything counts... ♥

Dear Sparrow
 
What precious things to be grateful for....

Your words touched me Sparrow so much and this made me think lots..
 
that I can feel grief without a sense of despair
 
I am not sure if this is  similar but I am also grateful that my
 
grief does not stick into me as painfully as it use to.

I hope this does not mean for me that I don't miss and love Louis
 
any less because I don't think I do if this makes sense .

I am blessed in many ways since I found this forum so my blessings
 
are endless now.
 
Love always Sandraxxxx



Dear Betty
 
Not sure if I am an
 but your post made me think so much.

Dear Sandra . . .
That your grief "does not stick into me as painfully as it used to", does not mean that you love little Louis any less. I think it might mean that you have turned a corner into a greater, more selfless love.
You honour Louis with your joy
with much love and gratitude to you my dear . . .
sparrow

everything counts... ♥

ORIGINAL: lilsparrow

Dear Sandra . . .
That your grief "does not stick into me as painfully as it used to", does not mean that you love little Louis any less. I think it might mean that you have turned a corner into a greater, more selfless love.
You honour Louis with your joy
with much love and gratitude to you my dear . . .
sparrow

 
Sorry Sparrow Sorry I did not mean you just me I am selfish at times
 
so maybe the new year will change for me in this way.
 
Love to you always Sparrow Sandraxx

The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love~and be loved in return♥♥  


 

Dear, dear Sandra . . .
I did not mean that you are selfish . . .
I am so sorry that you thought I was saying that.
What I meant was that it is easy to love selflessly if we are not asked to let go.
Through loss and letting go . . .
accepting what cannot be changed,
we learn to love more selflessly.
Selfishly, we want to keep our loved ones forever.
Selfless is when we let go with love . . .
blessings Sandra . . . you are a dear, dear treasure to this world
sparrow

everything counts... ♥

ORIGINAL: lilsparrow

Dear, dear Sandra . . .
I did not mean that you are selfish . . .
I am so sorry that you thought I was saying that.
What I meant was that it is easy to love selflessly if we are not asked to let go.
Through loss and letting go . . .
accepting what cannot be changed,
we learn to love more selflessly.
Selfishly, we want to keep our loved ones forever.
Selfless is when we let go with love . . .
blessings Sandra . . . you are a dear, dear treasure to this world
sparrow

 
My Sparrow
 
I am so sorry I read the post wrong do you know I was in bed last
 
night saying to myself 'I  must be selfish but one day I will change
 
but I am not sure how.
 
Sparrow I did not think you called me it I thought that maybe my thread
 
was in some way or other.
 
Do you know Sparrow ...
 
What I meant was that it is easy to love selflessly if we are not asked to let go.
Through loss and letting go . . .
accepting what cannot be changed,
we learn to love more selflessly.
Selfishly, we want to keep our loved ones forever.
Selfless is when we let go with love . . .
 
How true your loving words are how true....
 
You are right and when I look at the words above I could hug you to
 
death.
 
Well not death but what valuable lady friend I have in you.Bless
 
you Sparrow so much.Gosh never in a million years would I have
 
talked to a Sparrow like this before.
 
Love to you Sparrow and heaps of it,Sandraxxxxx

The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love~and be loved in return♥♥  


 

Dearest Sandra, what a wonderful statement to be able to make

that I can feel grief without a sense of despair

I read your new posts and they bring heart smiles at how much you have been open to our God showing you your own personal beauty and lovingness and your openness to allowing the Holy One to join Louis in your heart and bring you the peace beyond all understanding. It is such an act of pure love to allow the sense of loss and yet see the gift. It truly is difficult to love selflessly when one must let go and has no choice. You have blessed all of us by sharing your life with us. I am sure that Louis is VERY VERY PROUD of his Mummy and overjoyed at the very special gift she is to others. Isn't it amazing when one reads all that was written before. I do disagree, though, I think you HAVE turned into a butterfly in the BEAUTY sense.

Yesterday is gone forever.Tomorrow may not come. Live Fully each moment today. Look for Good Things that Happen to you Every Day.

Dearest Betty
 
Thank you for your lovely words but I have to say those words came
 
from Dear Sparrow .Betty I do aslo feel like this so in many ways Jesus,
 
Louis and this forum as taught me many things...
 
You have blessed all of us by sharing your life with us. I am sure that Louis is VERY VERY PROUD of his Mummy
 
Betty you always talk about Louis in the 'now' and for this I can never
 
thank you enough.
 
Through Sorrow we have found each other and I cannot express just how
 
 much you all have turrned my life around.
 
Also butterflys are  beautiful but I am scared stiff of them
 

God Bless you all and Little Louis always,Sandraxxxxxxxx

The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love~and be loved in return♥♥