Rise Again

“When the waves roll on over the waters
And the ocean cries.
We look to our sons and daughters
To explain our lives.
As if a child could tell us why
That as sure as the sunrise
As sure as the sea
As sure as the wind in the tress
We rise again in the faces
of our children.
We rise again in the voices of our song.
We rise again in the waves out on the ocean
And then we rise again

When the light goes dark with the forces of creation

Across a stormy sky

We look to reincarnation to explain our lives…”

Songwriters: Leon Dubinsky/Lydia Adams

I recently heard this beautiful song at the funeral of a well-loved neighbour and grandfather of a friend. I could not help but be moved by the meaningful lyrics and their relevance to the month of November.

Now that November is here, there is no denying the fact that Christmas is right around the corner. Before Halloween was even over, shelves were beginning to fill up with Christmas decorations, gifts, and holiday cheer. It is exciting, especially for those like me, who stress if their Christmas shopping is not finished before the end of November.

Yet the month of November holds so much more importance than just getting that head start for the holidays. It seems that every year, Christmas decorations come out earlier, Christmas craft fairs are a weekend sooner and there does not seem to be enough weekends leading up to Christmas to be able to fit it all in.

We see everyone wearing red poppies, but how many of us truly remember to focus on the more important date in November? Lest we forget, November 11, Remembrance Day. The lyrics in the song Rise Again spoke all too clearly to me, as a reminder for how my neighbour can be remembered, but also to how all the soldiers who fought, died, and continue to fight for the freedom we are blessed with in this country are remembered.

We all know death is a part of our life cycle, but coping with it or preparing ourselves for it is never easy. The loss of a loved one is like losing a piece of yourself. The hardest part is reminding yourself to find ways in which that piece can be reincarnated. Finding where that missing loved one still reaches out to you, whether it be a kiss from the warmth of the sun’s rays, or a hug from the wind blowing through the trees. Believing we will all rise again is what we hold on to when we celebrate and remember the lives of lost loved ones.

Do our children hold the answers to where we can find our loved ones? Perhaps not, but every look in their eyes, every smile, every tear they shed, is the result of many generations behind them. Each new child brought into the world is a book waiting to be filled with stories, emotions, laughter, and sorrow. They are a book which will be filled in by traditions and stories passed down from the generations before them, from the genetics that run strong and true through every family and from their own creations. They will add their own memories and personalities to their stories as the years go by, but every time we look at them our hearts can be filled with the knowledge that we will rise again through them.

I do hope everyone enjoys all the local Christmas Craft fairs in the upcoming weeks and gets their Christmas shopping done locally (the newest addition to my On the Farm children’s book series is in stock at The Review!). But more importantly, I hope you have taken the time to remember all the brave men, women and even children, who fought for our freedom.

Look for them in the waves on the water and the wind in the trees. Feel their presence in the warmth of the sun and remember we are fortunate to live in this beautiful country. It may not be perfect, but it is certain that we are all blessed.