I love the lyrics of this song. So peaceful and reassuring are the words of John Michael Talbot. A couple of days ago our friend Paul Kelly passed from this life to the next. Death need not be what we have made it and as a Franciscan I am comforted by St. Francis’ own welcome of Sister Death as he called her. Death is after all a part of life and without it we could not go on. We will all miss Paul with his wit and wisdom which he shared with us all. Today I took a drive along the Allegany River as it winds its way along Interstate 86 in New York’s southern tier. The gray mists that shrouded the mountain tops to the south provided an ethereal backdrop and in the silence I looked up those valleys along the south bank of the river. Traveling through the towns of Allegany, Vandalia, Limestone and then south to Bradford, PA I thought of my friend Paul and our many trips along this same route.
More than anything else today I felt grateful. The excitement of Thanksgiving and the reunion with family along with Paul’s death provided peak moments. Today there was peace and memories. I love this song and its lyrics. I hope you enjoy it too.[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amEntTOmwMA]