Cherished Daughter, Sister, Mother, Grandmother, and friend to all -
Yesterday Wednesday March 5, 2008 was a sunny California day. You were at home in your self created sanctuary. The flowers in bloom, the grandchildren playing outside your window, fresh warm air filled your home. Your Mother, Brothers, Sister, Sons, Daughters-in-law and Grandchildren near you, and your network of friends, coworkers, extended family and companions were with you in spirit whether nearby or far away. We held you, we prayed with you, we cried and we laughed with you. You and Kevin shared a "hooray!"
It was our shared honor to be at your side as you completed your physical time with us on this earth. We know you will be with us in spirit from this day forward. You have blessed us with many gifts and taught us many lessons. We are truly grateful for every minute we shared together.
You have such a gift for being there to provide support and guidance to the people around you. You provided this support to us even throughout your dying process. You made the difficult decisions for us and in your unique way, you continued to be the caregiver to us throughout. You are truly amazing.
We felt it appropriate to share this poem from Henry Van Dyke:
I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.
Then someone at my side says: "There, she is gone!"
"Gone where?"
Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and she is just as able to bear the load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side says: "There, she is gone!" There are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout: "Here she comes!"
And that is dying.
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8 comments:
Leni's Loved Ones -- I am frenzied, yet quiet as I search for her, wanting one more "connect" to a woman I loved so much. Boys play in my yard, the birds sing, flowers bloom, dogs bark and I cry and cry. How can this be? I miss her twinkling eyes so much -- her quiet strength and words of wisdom. Wishing I had hugged her longer when she came to hear me sing -- I'll always love and cherish my time with her. May God bless you as you grieve the incredible loss of Leni.
My 15 yr old daughter wrote this today upon learning the news...
Why did you have to go
so soon, when I wanted to tell
you one last thing before
you left this world is that
I love you
You were always there for me
You were loved by everyone
Everyone cared about you
I just wanna say
Come back to me
I miss you why did you
have to leave this world?
Everytime I got hurt you
were there to make me feel
better. I wanted to see you
one last time before you
left me for good.
But I can't see, you are
so far away why did you
have to go so soon when
I wanted to tell you one last thing before you left this world is that
I love you.
Lyrics by: Meghan Mack (Age 15)
To my dear nephews and their families: I understand your pain, your disbelief that Leni has moved on. Here is a quote which helped me through the most painful time in my life, when my daughter, Lisa, died at 47. I was tormented by her suffering and her early death. "Why?!" I wanted to know. The answer appeared in this quote (Psalm 46:10):
"Be still and know that I am God."
It is difficult to trust when the pain is so strong. Leni would have had just the right thing to say to help you through this time, as she helped us when Lisa died. Our hearts are with you during this very sad time.
We will be in Newport to honor Leni and to hold you.
Love, Aunt Sue
My heart is heavy and sad at Leni's passing. Yet I am grateful for our friendship of 45 years. She taught me many lessons, gave me comfort and love. I shall miss her terribly. My prayers are with you. Love Jo Ann
To Leni's family -
Thank you for sharing your Leni with us here in Sacramento for the last few years. She loved you all so.
Leni was my sponsor and my friend and she guided me to a spiritual awakening that I had not had before. I will be forever grateful for the time I had with her and for her integrity and kindness.
I am thinking a lot of kindness today - the kindness of your family to share this process with us in a such a profound and beautiful way, the kindness of Patrick when I called, the kindness of friends reaching out to comfort.
I see Leni sitting in the palm of gods hand - she is happy and she is free.
Love
Mary Shea
To Leni's loved ones. Our thoughts are with you at this time. While we only met Leni on a few occasions at soccer games, we immediately felt at ease in her presence. She was truly a special person with special qualities. I know that she will rest in peace knowing that she raised such great children who also share her unique gift being at ease with themselves and appreciating the gift of life that she shared with them.
The Chekol Family
Dear Shannon, Colleen, Maya, Abbey, Celia and John and all the family of Leni. It is a great loss to lose a mother and such a wonderful person. I want to offer my deepest sympathy. You were blessed to be able to share her last moments on this earth with her and shower her with your love and care. She left this world with the comfort of knowing her family members were by her side. That is a wonderful gift. On my husband's tombstone are the words "to live in the hearts of those we love is not to die".. Leni will truly live in your hearts and the hearts of the people she has touched throughout her life. May God be with you all and give you strength as you go through the final stage of Leni's journey when her soul is offered up to the Lord at her memorial mass.
Please accept my most profound sympathy,
With Love, Aunt Marilyn (Marilyn Moffatt)
A woman's whose eyes smiled...that is how i will remember Leni. She was so happy and content to be in the presence of her grandchildren. Her warm and loving spirit filled a room. I consider myself lucky to have known her and even more lucky to see her spirit live on the eyes and lives of her beautiful grand children. My heart and love goes out to the whole family and though Leni's earthly body has moved on, her angelic presence will surround you always, With much love, Jackie Henderson
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