Grief Workshop and Book Signing

I will be a participant in a panel presentation for the Mary Washington Healthcare Grief 101 workshop on Saturday, March 5 (3:00 to 4:00). The topic will be "Picking up the Pieces: Hope is not Lost," and the panel will share their experiences of grief and what has given them hope since their loved one died.  I will also be doing a book signing following the workshop.  Everyone interested is invited to attend the workshop and book signing.  The location is Joseph-Beth Booksellers behind the Spotsylvania Mall (the address is Joseph-Beth Booksellers, The Village at Spotsylvania Towne Centre, Fredericksburg, VA, 22407).   If you plan to attend the workshop, please register with Diane Ebenal of Mary Washington Hospice by email at diane.ebenal@mwhc.com or by calling 540-741-2377.

Give Me Strength

     Last week I was surprised after a visit to our ER to discover that I required a hospital stay.  I ended up needing surgery.  The night before my operation I was apprehensive and started crying.  I got out my pen and paper and started writing.  This is what I wrote, a prayer.  I read this many times before I went into surgery the next morning and felt relatively calm.  My surgery went well and I am making good progress in recovering. 

Tired and weary, scared and sad,
I don’t want to feel this bad,
Emotionally I’ve plumbed the depths,
When I lost my son to death.

Now I face physical pain,
To have my health back again,
Tomorrow will be my surgery,
I pray it goes successfully.

Heavenly helpers one and all,
Hear my heart’s call,
I place myself within your hands,
Surrendering to what is planned.

Come and stay close to me,
Sheltering and supporting protectively,
With your love and healing rays,
Give me strength for upcoming days.

Love Is Forever

Rainbows and blossoms, and butterfly wings,
In the air the mockingbirds sing,
Signs and messages sent with your love,
Comfort for me from Heaven above.

Our love is timeless, forever and true,
You are present in all that I do,
In my mind, and safe in my heart,
Gone, but never truly apart.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Graham

Bridging the Gap

Even with knowing that all is one,
I just want to see my son,
I know that death is only a transition,
But while on earth I desperately miss him.

Help me to bridge this gap,
To move beyond ego's trap,
The mind is what keeps us apart,
Oneness comes from the heart.

My heart has been broken,
It is torn and open,
I am learning as I process my grief,
But every day I still weep.

Love is the vehicle for our soul,
It is in love that we grow,
The past is memory, the future is imagination,
Today is our creation.

I want to move beyond this 3-D  world,
To see my spiritual gifts unfurl,
To find inner purpose and meaning in life,
Being happy despite all strife.

No Crybabies

     Graham worked one summer at a graphic design business that made vinyl graphics for vehicles and businesses.  One business owner wanted to have a sign that said " No Crybabies" on his entry door.  Graham designed this sign for him. This business is on a road I drive on most every day. I look at the door each time I pass by, and think of  my beloved Graham.

I often see the Pro-Trucks store,
With the graphic you designed on their door,
The graphic that reads,
"No Crybabies."

I was thinking,
(As I was weeping),
That I must be strong,
But this road is long.

With many downs and ups,
I feel as if I am on the cusp,
Of a different direction,
A course correction.

Is your graphic a message for me,
A reminder of what not to be?
I want to laugh and to smile,
Knowing every moment we shared was worthwhile.

That no matter the length of time,
 I was blessed to call you mine,
I’ll remember and cherish,
Because our love will never perish.

Fly, My Precious Son

"Fly," by Celine Dion

Mysteries Inside of Me

If all life's answers are within,
Then that's where I’ll begin,
I don't have to travel far,
To look for things that already are.

Mysteries inside of me,
Waiting patiently to be,
Unwrapped, examined, and revealed,
No longer to be concealed.

Trust and faith and intuition,
May God's love bring to fruition,
Acceptance, wisdom, and strength of being,
Confidence in the all-seeing.

To bring joy and peace of mind,
That I am working hard to find,
Knowing that death is not the end,
Just a change of form again.

As above, so below,
There is a universal flow,
I want to know why I am here,
And not live my life in fear.

Looking forward to the day,
When my life has played,
So in contentment I’ll be at rest,
Knowing while here I did my best.

The Spark Within

Love never ends,
It moves, it bends,
The spark of light within,
Will always transcend,
Any despair, pain or grief,
Giving the comfort that we seek.

Show me the way,
I pray each day,
Guide me on my journey;
Let there be no hurry,
So that I might rest within my quest,
For love's eternal glory.

Our Journey

Each of us has a journey to make,
Individual trails to take,
We don't always know,
Which path we should follow.

To some the road is crystal clear,
Others have no idea,
Should they turn left or right,
Uneasy, not knowing what's in sight?

Sometimes the path seems straight,
Then along comes Fate,
Suddenly there's a detour,
That you don't know if you can endure.

I want to be able to get back on track,
Overcoming emotions of profound lack,
Show me the signs that point the way,
So I won't be lost for all my days.

With the map for my soul,
I will travel towards my goal,
With an internal beacon directing me,
Shining a light for me to see.

Sweetest Baby

Sweetest baby, precious boy,
You brought us so much joy,
You were busy from day one,
Keeping me on the run.

You were always in a hurry,
Giving me times of worry,
You crawled, you walked much too fast,
I hoped that my energy would last.

Baby, toddler, little boy,
All the stages to enjoy,
Teenage guy to bright young man,
What an adventurous life span.

Grateful for the gift of you,
We think of you in all we do,
Thank you God, for the time we had,
Don't let us always be so sad.

Internet Radio Interview

I thought my interview on Donna Tyson's Rivers of Faith show went very well.  You can listen to the show by going to this link:  http://herewomentalkradio.com/home/archives_details/526

Internet Radio Show

I will be on this show tomorrow, January 11, at 11:00 EST.  Listen, and call in if you can.  I hope that it will be a very meaningful show, and comforting to other grieving families.

Donna Hambrick Tyson

Inviting anyone who has ever grieved the loss of a loved one to join me for my Rivers of Faith show tomorrow. I will be talking with the author of A Mother's Tears,
Claire Ann Stevenson, about how writing poetry helped her deal with the loss of her beloved son, Graham. Tuesday morning 11:00 - 12:00 (EST) Listen thru computer at www....herewomentalk.com or call/listen in by phone at 1.646.652.2071.

Go Within

Go within for what you seek,
Hear your soul softly speak,
Still your mind,
And you will find,
Help in dealing with what must be,
Inner peace and serenity.

Give your anguish up to God,
Some things are just too hard,
Surrender and let go,
Tap into the divine flow,
Learning to accept with grace,
All in life that we may face.

Five More Minutes

The Compassionate Friends web site posed a question a few months ago that immediately made me cry.  The question was, What would you do if you could have five more minutes with your child who has died?  I wrote this poem thinking about this question.

If I could have five more minutes with my son who died,
I’d be so ecstatic that he was alive,
“I love you, I love you, I love you,” I’d say,
And how much he is missed each day.

I would hold him in a tight embrace,
While looking at his beloved face,
Telling him how thankful I am to have been his mother,
And for every moment we spent together.

I’d say how proud I was of him,
And that it means the world seeing him again,
Only five minutes, such a brief time,
But the possibility would be a lifeline.

I know I’d be crying continuous tears,
Overwhelmed that he could once more be here,
Knowing there were only minutes until he’d have to depart,
Would be a bittersweet agony in my heart.

If only this could be true,
And time could be something new,
Love can’t be measured by hours or minutes,
But there’s a hole in my life without him in it.