Last November, this is what Guy's special "Care Cub" looked like. Blankie, Care Cub, and Guy. The three are quite the team. But after four years of love, Care Cub was looking more than a bit deflated. He'd been hugged around the neck so often by Guy that all he could do was flop around.
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| Care Cub with "Old Blankie" |
So Guy and I opened Care Cub up on a seam where he had already come apart and re-stuffed him. A process that Guy found very enjoyable. I have also sewn a new nose on Care Cub over the years and glue-gunned his left eye back on at least twice.
Recently, Guy has stopped me in the middle of reading him a book or watching a show and asked,"Is that real, Mommy?"
Each time I have taken his question seriously. Is this real? or Is this true? is a question that many of us ask about life in general.
This weekend, we received news of the death of a friend from high school. I say friend, because he was everybody's friend. Everyone loved him and he loved everyone. He was good and kind with an infectious laugh, gorgeous eyes, and a smile for everyone. It is no wonder that his classmates elected him Homecoming King 3 out of 4 years.
It has many of us wondering: What is real?
What is this life all about if someone so beloved can be taken so soon and so abruptly?
I want to tell my friends what is real.
Love is real.
Kindness is real.
Family is real.
True friendship is real.
Life is real.
Death is real.
But death is temporary. It is a momentary separation. We do not stop existing when our last breath is taken. Just as we do not stop caring about the person who has been taken by death from our lives.
Love continues, kindness continues, family and friendship continue...because these things are real. These things are true.
For those who are wondering what has become of our dearly departed friend, I say: The spirits of all men--as soon as they are departed from the mortal body--are taken home to that God who gave them life.
And--when the time is right--each one of us will be resurrected, because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We will be healed of the abuses that we suffered in this life. We will be lovingly "restuffed" by Our Creator who loves us so very much. Our spirit will be reunited with our physical body, never to be separated again. And in our flesh, we will see God.
Rest in peace, my friend. Until we meet again...
i like the idea of being restuffed again by a loving heavenly father....
ReplyDeleteAmen.
ReplyDeleteAnd well said.
=)
Great post today! We are a homeschooling family and are loving it! One of the things I cherish as their mother, are the discussions we get into, when they ask me if something is real. They get so excited when I am able to tell them that the people in the scriptures really lived, or that Laura Ingalls Wilder (who we are reading about) really lived on the earth. When they find out that something isn't real, they lose their excitement for it. This is just as it should be. I want to teach them to be excited about the things that really matter, and not to be distracted by things that don't. :0)
ReplyDeleteGreat Post Jocelyn. Hopefully over the next few months I can be restuffed LOL
ReplyDeleteI Have really learnt a lot over the last few months about what is real.
Your such a great Mother to be always taking moments to teach your children the true meaning in Life
What a cute and simple analogy. :)
ReplyDeleteWe too loved the parable of Restuffed CareCub. Death is very real, and can be very painful to those it leaves behind. Knowing that we will be reunited with our loved ones is such a comfort.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how there are teaching opportunities every where. Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteKeeping my beliefs of the spirit world and eternity in mind is a "reality check" when thinking of loved ones that have passed. Having that perspective of the bigger picture definitely makes it easier.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful testimony, thank you.
ReplyDeleteAnd man, that little teddy bear is so cute. It is so funny to see how attached Guy is to his cuddlies. Cute ;)