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Today we gather here with
sadness because the hopes and expectations we
should have experienced in childhood were stolen
from us.
We gather here together because of all the
children that have died in mind, body or spirit
because of the violence inflicted on them,
emotionally, physically and spiritually
We come seeking solace and peace, and in some
measure resolution, recognising that nothing
can alter the past
but we seek healing and reconciliation for
our wounded souls and the wounded souls of
all children - past, present and future.
We come offering our support to one another
knowing that there are no words that will heal
our loss or console our pain.
Only the support and understanding of one other
can ease our longing and bring us comfort and
help by sharing in our collective sorrow. Resurrection
is the awareness that death need not be an
end in itself but become a part of the process
of living.
In getting down and looking into the black
places we sometimes find angels.
In remembering things painful to us, as we
weep, and we rage, and we look, we too can
see resurrection.
Today we are grieving as a collective voice
for all vulnerable, hurting children; those
that have been those who are and those to come.
We speak as one voice for all our child souls.
And through acknowledging our collective pain
we join in the cry of the universe; and with
the voices of all soul-children we will mourn
and grieve our unresolved sorrow.
The candle is a symbol of the light, warmth
and the hope of love.
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See this light. It is the
light of love.
It is the light of love which will move ahead
of us and lighten the path of this sorrowful
journey. It will light the way as we travel
into the dark tunnel of years of unresolved
grief.
It will meet us at this journey’s end
as we emerge into the light of the present,
and move ahead of us as a light to lighten
the future. Let us find courage through trusting
in the light of the love that surrounds us
today, to accept the raw emotions as they emerge.
First let us spend
a few moments picturing that we are lovable
Beings, much loved, being held by love.
We invoke the Spirit of Love…
There are no words to fill this space
No Holy invocation
No amazing Grace
Except that of Love
Love, hold us now in your embrace
Wrap us in your warmth
Kiss us with your gentleness
Soothe us with your healing balm
Anoint our hearts, our eyes, our ears.Fear
not for love surrounds us, protects us, guides
us.
So let us mourn our loss.
Let us grieve for the child in us who died.
And for all child souls.
Knowing that the love we should have experienced
as children is blowing in the wind, there
is so much unresolved grief that it takes
the very breath from our bodies,
and wracks great sobs of grief from the depths
of our hearts.
so much grief that it is overwhelming ...
Come
now, spirit of love, of tenderness,
of hope.
Touch our speechlessness
Give rest to our longing
Reach into the silence of our words
Take the sting from our grief
And quieten our pain
We remember that salt is an element
of the earth and of the sea
It is essential for life
It is in our tears and in our blood
Salt purifies, preserves and flavours
We scatter salt as a sign that even
though hope has been so cruelly dashed;
That we are one with you, with the
stars and the universe
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This water is the mark of our tears. As it
soaks deep into our maternal heritage. We weep
for you child souls and for all your expectations
and imaginings that will never beinto the dark
earth and the depth of our souls –
our hearts of love pour out to you Let us acknowledge
that this is a most amazing day full of the
tingling, leaping, greenly spirit of life;
The sky full with its changing shapes and colours
and dreams
The breath of life swirling in the wind
The smell of fresh earth, full of promise
The whispering of empathy in the trees.
Even in the numb darkness of the void we acknowledge
the power of death, but we let it go its own
way and wait its own time
And let us feel and know the heart beat of
life.
What shall we leave in this place?
The pain?
The hurt?
The aloneness?
(Speak our own thoughts?)
Within us are buried hopes and
dreams that can never come to fruition.
Let us bury them in this place for all time.
(Plant bulbs?)
Although our feelings will
never be forgotten they are now cleansed by prayer
and buried with the knowledge that even though
our child hopes may be gone that there is a future
that holds out promise and hope through the promise
of love.
Now it is time to let go of the pain and hurt
(release a balloon)
Now it is time to let go of our grief
(release a balloon)
Now let us release our hopes and dreams
(release a balloon)
Into the freedom of wind and sunshine
Into the dance of the stars and planets
we let you go
Into the wind’s breath and the heart
of the star-maker
we let you go
One day our burnt out stars will join with
yours. And then the strings of our lingering
sadness will make music of our grief; and we
will become at One and at Peace with
the universe.
Behold the lament of the universe
sings eternally the song of our grief -
Its voice will never die.
Behold the song of the universe
it sings a new song of creation - Its voice
will never die.
Let us come into new Being.
Behold the harmony of the universe
Let us come forth with the Spirit of Love surrounding
us. Let us come forth from the pain of our
grief
Let us come forth with the feeling that life
holds promise. With our hearts beating out
our hopes for tomorrow.
So Be It |
