I had some tears in church the other Sunday. They were good tears. As we sang, "Will You Let Me Be Your Servant," I was transported to Mitch and Heidi's wedding day, in 1996, when we sang that song. The verses held new meaning to me now as I remember Heidi:
I will weap when you are weeping,
when you laugh I'll laugh with you.
I will share your joy and sorrow
til we've seen this journey through.
When we sing to God in heaven,
we shall find such harmony,
born of all we've known together
of Christ's love and agony.
With love to you, Heidi, on this Holy Week.
~ Maria
Hi Maria,
ReplyDeleteThe 29th was such a reminder of the new normal as it was time for a Anniversary card to Mitch and Lora. I also think of Heidi so much during Lent and Easter and love the comment in her 1997 Easter card to Mark and I:"I remember Easters growing up with such fondness!" I find some comfort these days in the cute lady bugs that crawl around my little house with ease, they seem to appear with unspoken messages from Heidi, as though to encourage me. I smile and let them crawl!
Maria,
ReplyDeleteI haven't checked this site for a while. But now I do, and I have to comment here - I will always think of Heidi and my wedding too, when we sing this song. The other week at Assembly when we sang it I also had the same thought with the line about weeping.
Sort of related to that - today I was asked by a friend if it's hard now that Heidi's book has been published. She was wondering if difficult memories are brought back by the book. At first I couldn't understand what she meant. Then I realized her thinking was that I thought about and missed Heidi more that the book has come out. I reassured her that it's no worse than usual. I miss Heidi many times every day.
I'm reminded of her when I open up an old email that I stumble across. Or when I see the Amnesty International sticker she plastered on the checkbook cover we still use. Or the old push button phone we used in our first shared dwelling - the apartment on the third floor of the Fishers' house at the corner of Washington and 6th. When do I not think about her? The 4th anniversary of the diagnosis is coming up. I will take some more time to devote to remembering. I look forward to that time. I embrace all the memories that flood me when I see that checkbook or that phone. It is hard, but it is good, and important, to acknowledge what we have been through.
Thanks for the memories, Heidi. It was wonderful.