Lessons From a Little

My daughter-in-love Sarah sent a message

on the night before her birthday:

“And just like that, it hits me like a semi truck. This is the first year I won’t wake up to a Happy Birthday text from my mom.”

The first year so hard.

Every milestone missed.

Every first without loved ones

is agonizing.

But this story does not end there,

Sarah texted a bit later in the evening:

“Bristol asked why I was crying, I told her I missed Grandma Manning.”

“You can still say hi up in heaven, Grandma will just talk really quietly.

I see Grandma [Beth] and Grandpa [Larry] in treasure chests- because they bury people in treasure chests.” – Bristol Stansbery

Sarah continued, “Bless her sweet sweet soul.”

For most of us, funerals are sad occasions. The last good-bye, the coffin, the burial, just the whole process.

Sarah’s daughter Bristol, my four-year old granddaughter,

sees only the treasure chest,

for her Grandparents were treasured.

She knows that we can still talk

to our departed loved ones,

but they will

“just talk really quietly”.

Perhaps that’s the meaning of a

“still, small voice?”

What lessons

from a four-year-old teacher.

I will never again look at

a funeral the same way.

Our treasures have

closed their eyes on earth

and opened them in the

presence of G-d.

We can talk to them,

if we listen for their

quiet voices.

Thank you Bristol,

for being a teacher.

Thank you Sarah,

for sharing your story.

I love you both.

XO Lisa

Story shared with permission

© Sarah Stansbery, Lisa Preisler, and grief2beautifulsorrow.blog All Rights Reserved