O Night Divine...?


Thirty-five years ago tonight, my youngest sister, Rennie, was
killed in an automobile accident as she was on her way to our
family's Christmas Eve gathering at the home of our parents.
It was years before I could get through the singing of "Silent
Night" at the Christmas Eve candlelight service without tears...
without the sense of the shattering of the holy silence of that
night of nights. And though the passing of the years has truly
brought healing, on this particular Christmas Eve, I am filled
with a sense of loss and longing ...a sense of the shattering
of peace...a sense of broken hearts and broken dreams. Yes,
all these years later, I miss her still...and I know my other two
sisters do, too. Rennie, we love you.

silent night?
Silent night, holy night,
All is calm, all is bright...
except when it isn't...
when the silence is broken by the
dreadful sound of crumpling, smashing steel...
when the calm is broken by the
ominous sound of the telephone...
     "So sorry, there has been an accident..."
All is calm, all is bright...
except when it isn't...
when the calm is shattered by the heartbroken
cry of "No, no, no!"
when the brightness is darkened by the loss,
the forever-after loss of one much beloved...
All is calm, all is bright...
except when it isn't...
when the calm of Christmas Eve becomes
the confusing pain of Christmas Day...
when the brightness of the holy day
becomes darkened with grief and mourning...
Sleep in heavenly peace...
will that ever happen again-
for any of us? And is she really sleeping
"in heavenly peace"? I can only pray it is so...
that we may all, once again,
sleep in heavenly peace.


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