Tuesday, February 26, 2019

It Is, It Was


My husband, Danny, has never proclaimed himself a writer.  Mr. Engineer is his title.  Yet, in the wake of the passing of his mother, Mimi, he has penned words I cannot match.  I've found at times that when we experience moments of overwhelming grief, God grants us extraordinary gifts.  This is Danny's God-inspired offering.  He is my most welcomed guest blogger today.  I hope you will leave him some love and affirmation in the comment section.  Love and blessings, my friends!

Honor your father and your mother,
so that you may live long in the land
the Lord your God is giving you.
~Exodus 20:12


So . . .
It is
I was saved
From death
For an unknown reason
Till
My mother became ill from life
And now . . .
I am alive
To tend to her final days
I live to be here to take care of her
In her final days on this Earth
She has always been my watcher
And now I am hers
The circle of life
It is
What it is
My father asked that I watch over her
And I have
His Bessie Bones, don't know what that means
But it is private no doubt
I have nearly completed the task
My watch is not yet over
But it is near
Tonight we hear a ghostly bell
Both of us at the same time
Not a sound of this abode
For whom the bell tolls
Frightening
Unknown
Expected, yet not
God messaged us
Is it time
Don't know
Morning tells
And then
It was.

~Danny Orlando

Amen!

39 comments:

  1. A son watches over his mother just as she watched over him for years. Well done Danny. My prayers are with you, Martha, your brother and extended family.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Bill, for your sympathy and prayers.
      Love and blessings!

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  2. Hi Danny,

    Rest assured that your parents look down on you with pride for the wonderful son you have been. Never forget that.

    Sincere condolences.

    God bless you and your family always. Praying for you all.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Victor, for your kind, affirming words here and for your continued prayers.
      Love and blessings!

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  3. Danny, thank you for sharing your heart.
    My prayers are with you and your family.
    May God bless you for your taking care of you mom while she was unable.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for your kind words, Ryan, and for your prayers.
      Love and blessings!

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  4. Danny - heartfelt and beautifully written!

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  5. Truly moving. Spirit is speaking here through Danny's heart.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, Galen, speaking loud and clear.
      Love and blessings!

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  6. I echo all that has been said above, Danny. A lovely, heart-felt tribute to your dear mother and to you as her son. Well done. Hugs!!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Terri, for your kind words here.
      Love and blessings!

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  7. What a gift of expression you've been given, Danny! And what a gift you were, both to your father and mother.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Mevely. He was a gift to them.
      Love and blessings!

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  8. Replies
    1. It brought me to tears, too, when I read it Beckie. Wow!
      Love and blessings!

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  9. Thank you all for beautiful comments.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Danny, for making this blog so special today.
      Love you!!!

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  10. Martha and Danny, thank you for sharing your faith-filled journey. Rev and I are praying that God will hold you both a little closer during this difficult time. God bless you both!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for your prayers for both of us, Deb. I do feel that God is holding us very close, indeed.
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  11. This is so beautiful Danny. My heart goes out to you as you now must deal with the sorrow and yet, relief, for your mother...as she has gone on to be with the Lord and also your father who will no doubt say that you did a wonderful job of caring for his sweet "Bessie Bones". Now she is at peace, and may God grant you peace in knowing you did all that you could as a devoted son. This was so beautiful.

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    1. Pam, your words are so touching and sweet, and much appreciated by the both of us. We are grateful for Mimi's life, but glad that she is home with Jesus.
      Love and blessings!

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  12. This is so moving, Danny. I had almost forgotten you were once on the brink of death yourself, so it's an even greater marvel of how God kept you alive as He knew your mom would need you. Thank you for your love offering to her. And to your dad. I'm so sorry for your loss. Blessings of strength and peace to you both!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for your kind and caring words here, Trudy! Danny has been overwhelmed by all the love folks have shown here. Yes, we miss Mimi, but are comforted by God's love and the prayers of others.
      Love and blessings!

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  13. Danny, your words are beautiful and heart-felt. My heart goes out to you and your family during this time of loss, grief. You were a good son and did what you were expected to do. May you feel God's loving, comforting presence at this time and in the days ahead.

    Love and blessings!

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    Replies
    1. Yes, Kim, as a witness to all of it, I can attest that no son could have shown greater care to his mother as Danny did. God certainly gave him a tender and loving heart, and what a gift that is!
      Love and blessings!

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  14. Beautiful--grief inspired, but God ordained. May your sweet memories comfort you in the days to come as you experience the huge void of this loss.
    Blessings to you both!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Loralu, for your precious observation here. Yes, it will take time to heal, but with God's help, we will.
      Love and blessings!

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  15. Such a beautiful expression of the reversal of roles that takes place in all of our lives as our parents age, then pass on. Thank you so much for sharing your heart-wrenched words with us. You surely have our deepest sympathy, Danny.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Cheryl, for your sweet words here. Role reversal is precisely what takes place when caring for an aging parent, and I must agree that Danny expressed it so well.
      Love and blessings!

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  16. What a beautiful legacy ...

    May the writing and sharing of these precious words be a healing balm.

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    Replies
    1. Linda, I know that writing these words formed the first steps for the grieving process for Danny. Thank you for your kind comment here.
      Love and blessings!

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  17. Such a poignant piece of writing! Loved it.

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  18. Wowza, Danny! So powerful and soul-stirring and heart-felt and more. This moved me today. Thank you, Martha, for sharing it.

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    1. I was so honored that Danny allowed me to share this, Karen. So glad his words touched your heart.
      Love and blessings!

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  19. So powerful and real... I've heard it said, "to write what you know." This came from his soul. It is absolutely beautiful and felt by the soul of anyone who has gone through the same. Still Waters run deep. Thank him for me for sharing this so that we can all experience this with him. ❤️❤️❤️ And thank you Martha for posting it.😘

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Marla, for your insightful words here! Yes, still waters do run deep, and God can stir those waters for our good when the time is right. I do believe what Danny wrote here was inspired by the Father, who knows how to help us in our grief process. I will make sure Danny sees your comment!
      Love and blessings!

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