's motd Sunday Aug 15, 2010

[Guest guest]

LIGHT A CANDLE

Sunday, 15 August 2010

Over the weekend, I spent quite a bit of time calling people who'd very recently lost a loved one. I talked to a lady who'd just lost her mother to breast cancer. I also called a young man whose grandfather had recently passed away. During this weekend, I must have talked to 15 people who were mourning the loss of a loved one. And naturally, they were all very sad and depressed.

And there's something else. All of the people I talked to were burying their sorrow...in food. They were telling me that losing their loved ones had left a void in their lives. But I was so sorry to hear that they were using food to fill those voids. Still, they told me all they could do lately was cry and eat.They told me about some of the things they were using as "comfort foods." Packs of Little Debbie snack cakes. Boxes of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. They were eating bags of Lay's Potato Chips and Oreo Cookies, too.

I'll be honest with you though and admit, I couldn't judge them. See, when my parents, Leonard and Shirley passed away, I was no different. After my parent's services, I walked around the streets of the French Quarter in New Orleans thinking about my wonderful Mom & Dad and how much I would miss them. And at the same time, during those very sad days, I was constantly crying and eating. It's hard to eat when you're crying but, somehow, we still manage to do it, don't we?

Everyone reading today's message today has, at some time, lost someone close to their hearts. And over time, you've probably felt the loss of at least a few people who were very close to you.There's a lady coming on next month's Cruise To Lose who, this year, has lost her mother, father and also a brother. I can only imagine how devastating those losses must have been for her, especially all in the same year. But even with her kind of loss, as with any loss, I believe these are times where our belief comes in.

You see, I believe that those who were good to others while they were here on earth, have moved on to a better place. They have moved on to that more peaceful place of existence. Heaven.I know that's where my parents are and that they're so very happy being there. As a matter of fact, I told the people I spoke to over the weekend that their loved ones are also in Heaven and I know my parents are there cooking for them. I also gave each of them a little advice that someone once gave me. And if you've recently lost a loved one, I'd like to share that advice with you.

One of my students at Slimmons lost her husband not long ago. She told be that instead of burying her sorrow in food, she lit a candle then sat to have a talk with her husband. She told me that by doing that, a feeling of calmness came over her as she sat in that candlelit room talking to him.If you're facing the loss of a loved one, I want you to remember what she did. Find some place quiet in your home, light a candle and turn off the light. As you sit, stare into the candle, talk to your loved one telling him or her how much you love and miss them. Then ask them to put in a good word for when you join them, someday, there in Heaven.

If you've recently lost someone, I'm so sorry for your loss. And I want you to know that my best thoughts and prayers are with you. But please don't allow your loss to push you to food and a weight-gain. I'm telling you, it will only give you another layer of sadness. And that's truly something you don't need or want at an already sad time in your life.And one more thing I want you to remember. And that is, when you lose a loved one, they're never really "gone." Because a part of that person you love will always live...inside of you.Love,