Footprints in the snow

Last Winter we walked to your house through the snow. Through the woods where we went foraging for willow and holly for making wreaths. Along the hidden paths you showed us. Where back in the Autumn we picked the wild raspberries and clambered over broken walls to literally walk through secret gardens.

This year we won’t be doing that with you. Your Joy is still there, but your life moved on.

We couldn’t believe it when we heard the news. We were busy getting ready to move, but suddenly time stood still. And that day packing didn’t seem so important anymore.

We really miss the lockdown chats in your garden, with the special cups of coffee that took ten minutes each to prepare.You loved to use this time to proudly sing your family’s praises. You used to love your cycling and swimming, and I could never keep up with you in the pool, where you would casually rattle off fifty lengths without hardly breaking a sweat.

Your infectious love of life, and adventurous spirit took you all over the world. Now you explore elsewhere. Your faith in Jesus was a beacon to everyone who had the privilege to meet you.

We often talk about you. Speculations about whether you have met our other friends who journey now too. About you looking forward to our next chat. Maybe you have your own coffee emporium now, which only serves ten minute speciality hot drinks. No doubt you have countless clientele, each eagerly listening to your stories of your loved ones while the coffee brews.

This world is beautiful, and you saw a lot of it, but we know that you now reside in Heaven, where the beauty exceeds even that of Antarctica and the Himalayas. And we do know this; You are still happy. Still cheerfully smiling and laughing. Reminiscing about this life. Patiently waiting to catch up with us all again.

And we look forward to that too, my friend , we miss you.