Candle-lighting service remembers loved ones

Despite the cold and blowing snow Saturday afternoon (Dec. 1), people gathered at the Knox United Church hall in Emo for a candle-lighting service, “Remembering Those We Miss,” sponsored by the Rainy River District Palliative Care Volunteers.
It was a way to acknowledge that though the sounds of celebration are all around, for some the holiday season brings a reminder of the death or loss of a loved one.
As the days grow shorter and the nights longer, the sense of feeling blue can increase.
This special service was offered as a way for people to honour the memory of loved ones, a life partner, a child, a family member, or a friend.
As people arrived, Palliative Care committee member Mary Martinson invited them to write the name of their loved one on a tree ornament and hang it on the Christmas tree at the front of the room.
After the service, they were encouraged to take the ornament home.
Poetry read by Carol Hyatt, along with music by Janet Young, Janet Loney, and June Winik, set the stage for the lighting of the candles of grief, courage, and love.
Those who wanted to then came forward to light individual candles in memory of those they missed.
Dorothy Friesen reminded the group of Chief Seattle’s words that “we did not weave the web of life, we are merely a strand in it and what we do to the web we do to ourselves.”
And so as we mend our own hearts, she said, we also contribute to the mending of the world.
A final poem, “Mending the Tattered Web of My Heart, the World,” read by Teresa Bolen, spoke to the slow, deliberate work involved in healing.
“May I repair jagged rips torn by despair and grief with braided grasses of gratitude and deep purple reeds of acceptance of things as they are.
“And where anger and fear burned gaping holes, may I re-weave with golden threads of forgiveness, gleaming copper cords of courage, and strong silver strands of trust in the mysterious and holy unfolding of what is greater than I can know.”
After the service, participants gathered at the beautifully-decorated tables for an informal time of sharing over coffee, tea, and dainties.
If you would like more information about joining the Palliative Care Volunteer Program, or if you need a palliative care volunteer, contact volunteer co-ordinator Jennifer Anderson at 274-4972.