Reverend Candace Frank

The Spiritual Director of my Centre died this morning. There are literally hundreds of us that are boggled with questions and saddness and loss. I am sure I will blog about this and its affect on me in the future. Today, in memory of RevC, I want to share a poem that my brother wrote about his wife Jane after she, too, lost her battle with Cancer. I read this poem the other night and had my first really big cry about saying goodbye to Candace...and because I know that Candace is able, in her own way, to read this poem, too, I send this to her now as my own way of bidding farewell...

Jane

we can see you now, in our mind's eye, smiling
thinking ahead, arranging our ongoing comfort
working to understand us
our thoughtlessness
our arrogance
our blithe indifference to need
which you saw everywhere
in everyone

you loved us when we came to you
you loved us when you left us
you loved us for showing you how
you loved us for needing to be shown
you loved us when we remembered you
you loved us when conveniently we forgot

we loved you for how you treated us
we loved you for who you were
we loved you, though we did not show it
we loved you, hoping somehow you knew
we loved you first because you let us
and then because you did not want us to

we can't see you anymore
or feel your voice or hear your smile
it said to us, be not afraid
be joyful, joyful
you are loved

we mourn the silence

--Sean Konkin, 7 May 2000, Calgary

Thank you RevC for showing me a way of living that made me want to get up in the morning. Thank you RevC for showing me a way of dying that allows me to sleep peacefully when I go to bed at night.

I hope to do you proud.