J.D. Salinger once said, ” All we ever do our entire lives is go from one piece of holy ground to another.”
I can totally resonate with this reality lately. Yesterday I spent most of the day listening to a dear friend share loss of one whose first anniversary is December 23rd. It is hard enough to grieve and deal with the void created by death, but when it happens in the middle of the holidays, the grief is intensified. I gathered on Saturday for our family Christmas, the first one without my brother Frank who died on March 17th. I prayed with my own faith community on Sunday in calling to mind their loved ones who have died and for strength to get through the holidays.
This is truly a joyful season, yet the emptiness, pain and loss for many is a reality. Grief and daily life have a lot in common, you never know when it will overcome you or demand your attention, and it will not ever go completely away. So to recall and reverence that both are holy brings a bit of comfort. I pause and ask for the gift of peace as we maneuver this holy ground in this holy season.
It is holy ground, and our God is with us and awaits our cry!