Greetings my beloved friends,

Easter blessings of new life and resurrection to you all!

It has become a bit of an Easter tradition to share this poem with you. My dad wrote it three years ago - 8 months after his initial diagnosis with stage IV prostate cancer. It wasn't his last Easter with us at that time, but two years ago it was.

I am including both the written version of the poem and a video of my dad reading it a few weeks before his death. He felt it was essential that you both see the written poem and hear it read aloud in order to experience the full meaning of the words.

This poem beautifully conveys the importance of honoring the "holes" in our lives, yet remembering that there is still hope. I especially love the power of the last line that so poignantly reminds us that the holes "are being filled by the futures taking place." 

What are the holes in your life? I pray that all of our holes may be filled by the blessing of futures taking place.

Hope is stronger than fear! Life is stronger than death! Empty holes get filled! Christ is risen!! Alleluia!!

Peace ,
Sharon

Sharon Seyfarth Garner
Director, Belly of the Whale Ministries

Graphic credit: I colored the prayer mandala above on Easter Sunday 2018.

EASTER

This is likely my last Easter here, with you all.

Timothy's on his way back to the conservatory in Cincinnati,
with Jordan and her parents, leaving a brother-sized hole
for Deborah to grow into.

She's driving already, and going to Liberia with Sharon,
if they, indeed, get there, on beyond the mandalas and spiritual growth.

They'll leave Andy with a hole, larger than the size of a Bear, 
to fill for a while.

Luke and Joshua, Chris and Debbie,
may be going to a new home,

eating with old and new friends, working in new places,
playing basketball, taking care of snakes and science,
roaring with laughter.

I have many holes, too,
a cerebral-vascular accident, mild aphasia, right-sided weakness,
high blood-pressure,
permanent pacemaker for bradycardia,
indwelling Foley catheter,
sleep apnea,
stage four prostate cancer, bone metastasis, stabilized with Lupron.

I cry a little.

Practicing on little holes,
I'm getting ready for bigger ones to come.
But they are not empty.
They are being filled by the futures, taking place. 

Leonard H. Seyfarth