The empty chair is very present for many of us at this time of year. As I prepare to spend the weekend with my mother, my sister, and my sister’s family, I hold in my heart all of you for whom the holiday season is not simply happy. The loss of my father weighs heavy. I know a heavy heart companions those of you who lost loved ones since last year. I know that a heavy heart persists over time as many of us face family gatherings without a beloved person.

Even when family dynamics are complex, loss  may still haunt us. While I expect there will be many tears this week among the remaining Capezzis, I know, too, that we will share memories that can make us smile, laugh, and slap our knees. May it be so for all of you with longing in your spirits, and for all who companion us in this time of grief, as you remember, today, and every day, that you are loved, you are worthy, you are welcome, and you are needed. May you feel it so, and may it be so.

 

Blessings, Rev. Rita