Hallelujah

“I won’t let you fade from no minds. . .” goes the Gin Wigmore song that my daughter is singing.  The song, “Hallelujah,” is about the death of Wigmore’s father, and it is one of the most beautiful songs about loss and the celebration of a life that I have ever heard.

It touches me deeply, on a very personal level.  I don’t want my brother’s life to fade from the world, forgotten.  Both of my siblings had lives which deserve to be celebrated and remembered, no matter what their appearances may have suggested to others. I write to honor them, although my stories are not about Bobby and Jeannette.  My stories evolved from a life lived in their company. 

At Bobby’s funeral, our celebrant, Carolyn Patierno (minister of All Souls Unitarian Church in New London), spoke of the impact each life has on us, even the life of a child who lives for only a few hours.  We are different because of the lives that have touched us; we are changed by the simple existence of others.

Gin Wigmore speaks specifically of her father, and yet her song speaks to all of us who have known loss, and to all who love someone deeply and don’t want to lose them.

I write specifically of my brother and sister in these blogs, yet I hope to speak to anyone who has loved someone deeply.  In my stories, I write of the love that is shared between typical and disabled siblings. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to love and be loved by Bobby and Jeannette.  Love is an incredible gift.

Loss is never easy.  But it is a thread that ties us all and binds us in community with one another.  We understand each other, because we understand what it means to love deeply.  We know how hard it is to let go.  We don’t want to think about it. But facing loss can free us to let the people who are still in our lives know how much we love them. 

Tell them now.  

Sepia Sunset           photo by F. Prescott

“Hallelujah for these eyes. . . for the touch of skin to skin. . . for this mind which keeps our souls combined. . . for this life. . . Hallelujah, to be a part of your life. . .”

excerpts from Hallelujah by Gin Wigmore