Frozen Farewells

An unexpected snow storm was called a few days ago and I was so relieved thinking "Oh finally some downtime at home!" I really love a good snow fall as it brings elements of peace and cleans the air. The day before the storm started with a good sleeting of DC covering everything in a thin layer or beautiful glassy ice.

At noon mass, the first one knowing Miss Grace wasn't there because she was dead, was hard. I wanted to say good-bye but her pew was empty. The mass was short since it was sleeting outside and I was so grateful when Father H. turned the lights off and locked the main doors leaving me alone in the silence of the church. I felt like it was the moment to make peace with the shock of knowing such a sweet person who was unjustly killed. The statues were all covered in dark violet veils for Lent and the natural light shown through the stained glass window. I looked up and saw St. Joseph's glass was next to were I sat. He seems to be popping up around churches when I pray so thanked him and asked him to intercede in protection for a few people on  my mind. I walked over to Miss Grace's pew and let her know we miss her. The greatest light shown in through the door over the Sacred Heart and down the aisle. It was a reminder that though love can be volatile and unrequited with humans we always have the Sacred Heart who loves us totally and passionately without condition of reciprocity or on our being good or bad or mediocre...I hope Miss Grace is basking in that total pure love 100% now. I had always wanted to be in the church alone with the lights off and just natural light filtering through and was grateful that it happened, even through somewhat sad circumstances.

St. Joseph, thank you and pray for us.

Bye Miss Grace. 

The Virgin of Guadalupe that Miss Grace loved so much was covered. I'm glad it will be Easter when she is uncovered. 

As I walked back to the office I felt the wind whipping my face and started to say small thanks for my lungs, my legs, my health. I passed a few other homeless women huddled under blankets and prayed for their safety and protection.

On the way home I stopped for a moment in a garden to admire the ice on the trees and branches of a bush. I notices some beautiful red cardinals huddling under the branches of the tree and loved their contrast against the ice.

A walk in a frozen forest.

If only time could freeze like these droplets of water.