For Sylvia Biggins

My best friend's grandmother passed away just before Christmas and her funeral is in Washington, DC today. I can't be physically there to celebrate her life, but, as ever, I'm with Kevin and his family in spirit, and I'm thinking of little else today. I met Sylvia only briefly, but in that time I got to see what a light she was in this world. I got to hear her laugh, and feel her hugs, and know the depth of her love through them. She loved me because I loved her grandson, and I will never forget the smile in her eyes when I met her. Kevin asked me to write something for the program when she first passed away, and this wrote itself down. I felt more like a vessel than I've ever felt before-I truly believe this is as much by as it is for a beautiful woman I was blessed to know.

When time, at last, takes me away,
I ask you and I pray:
Sing me to eternity,
and dance from night 'til day.

When dim, dear ones, seems lantern light,
think of my smile bright,
And I will light the way for you,
from everlasting flight.

My grandson, church, my family,
the world could not keep me,
but wrapped up in my Father's arms,
I'm waiting happily.

Where I have gone there is no pain,
nor is there even rain,
so smile and know the day will come
we'll be together again.

When tomorrow comes and I can not call
to laugh at things funny and small,
remember that I am now with Him
and We will catch your every fall.

When days feel long and quiet seem,
search the sky for beams-
I am the light in winter white
and will Forever be.

Thank you for being a light in my life, Sylvia Biggins. Thank you for helping to raise my best friend, making him the extraordinary man he is.  You brought unbelievable joy to my life without even knowing. That is a memory I will keep forever. Until we meet again x

The Tickling Wind

My younger sister, Rebekah, has the silliest, sweetest soul of any little girl in the world. Every day she becomes less the baby I love and more the little woman I cherish. But her spirit amazes me over and over again the more she and I grow up together. She's a gifted writer, and has the most refreshing imagination. I'll probably get the story wrong, but I think she had to write a short excerpt for her French class, and when she read it to me in English I was completely struck by the images she had imagined. Better to simply share, I think, than to try to describe. She calls it "The Tickling Wind."

 One Fall day a leaf named Amelie wakes up.

She is surprised to see that there are small, yellow patches spotting her green skin.

She is also very cold and very thirsty, but her mother (tree) told her that one day this would happen.

Day-by-day she turns more and more yellow.  

She thinks that the more yellow she turns the more ticklish she gets when the wind blows. And she doesn't like it.

One day when she is completely yellow the tickling wind blows so strong that while Amelie is laughing she falls off of her tree and flies everywhere.

She lands on the ground and falls asleep for the winter.

The language is so simple, in part because she had to translate her story into French, but I think also because it's meant to be a children's story. Within that childlike perspective is so much beautiful, unadulterated innocence, all the while, though, painting this incredible portrait of eternal sleep. Anyway, in turn, I wrote a sort of response to my sister's story. I'll also call mine "The Tickling Wind"

 The Tickling Wind
 ~Nia Rhein~

A little girl watching a tree caught my eye.

She thought the leaves were giggling

in the wind whipping by.

"That ticklish one there," she smiled and sighed,

"is going to fall from all its wriggling!"

The air was chilled with wintertide

when her once-green leaf turned yellow and died

But I thought, "she's right...it's happily wiggling"

A story so sweet of life passing by. 

  Video-Leaves Falling