COVID 19 - The Virtues of Recovery
Tracy Renee Lee • May 26, 2020
I received a call from a daughter whose father is on hospice and near death. She was asking about arrangements, and I offered to meet her at her home rather than having her leave her father at this critical time.
We scheduled a conference and at the appropriate time, I traveled to her home.
Her home was located off the beaten path. As I left the paved road and drove onto a dirt road, I was somewhat concerned. At length, I arrived at their home located through the thick woods. At first glance, it seemed as though this was a family of humble means. As I entered their home, my original thoughts were confirmed. This old home had witnessed many years of humble living under its roof.
As I collected the vital information required upon the death of a loved one, I realized that this daughter did not know the names of her grandparents. I never have been accused of having a poker face and so she explained that she and her brother were both adopted.
Near the end of our conference, I asked her what she would like to say about her father in his obit.
She said that he was a wonderful teacher and an exemplary role model. That he had always had a strong belief, and followed the Lord’s will as best he could.
Also, that he taught his children that patience is the reward of all virtue.
As I recorded her words I thought what a great testament to this man’s life. In the judgments of society, this was a very poor man. His home was humble, his profession was humble, and his education was humble. Yet through the trials of providing for his family, he was generous by giving those who had naught, all that he possessed. Not just monetarily, but spiritually as well.
Throughout his life, when those who had greater wealth looked upon him and his children, I wonder if they even knew that he had adopted two babies, saving them from who knows what. Did others realize that he made a choice, so long ago, to give his meager earnings to two tiny children who had even less than he? When he walked through the city where they lived, did people know that a giant soul had crossed their path, or had they elevated themselves so highly that they were unable to see beyond their riches?
Her words that he had taught them that “Patience is the reward of all virtue,” deeply touched my heart.
I was reminded of the wealthy contributing from their surplus wealth while the widow gave two mites, her whole livelihood, under the watchful gaze of the Lord? This father has done as the widow did and deserves the respect of all around him. He gave his whole livelihood to two children, and as he raised them, he taught them to be good people and to serve the Lord as he had done during his lifetime.
I thought about the end of his life. He served virtuously where others had not. He raised two homeless children as his own. He gave them shelter, love, his name, and instilled virtues that others discount as meaningless. Now that he is dying, the love and tender patience taught to his children are seeing him through to the other side. As his soul crosses over, I believe that he will receive the blessings of the Almighty predicated upon his good works. These two infants, the least of humanity, rescued from an unimaginable life and treasured by a man of humble means are a beacon of faith, hope, and charity.
I checked myself as I left their home. There is more that I could do to help others. The Lord has blessed my life and I owe Him a great debt. When called upon, will I step forward as this father did, and give to those are without? I hope so; I trust that I will.
Now is a critical time for the world. We have all suffered great economical and familial losses relative to the great COVID-10 pandemic. Will we share our meager means with those who have lost more than we have; with those who are suffering the impacts of stress, grief, and unforeseen poverty? Will we take this man’s life as an example and try to do what we can for ourselves and for others?
I will assist in the recovery and I will try to develop the virtues that this great man so willingly shared with his children. If we all work together with the virtues discounted as meaningless by so many, our rewards will come through faith, hope, and charity. In the end, patience will win our victory. It will temper our virtues, and as we reach the crossroads of life, the restoration of God’s love will welcome us over to the other side.
This is my humble prayer, for myself, and for the world at large; that we will gain in virtue, that we will serve each other through faith, hope, and unselfish love, and that in the end, we will reap our just rewards as we enter through the gates of paradise to be in the presence of our dear Lord. It is up to us. Only we can make this decision, and only we can make it happen. We must change our attitudes, do what must be done with a song of praise and thanksgiving as we greet our days and each other. We must bring joy to others whose sufferings are unseen and hidden in their hearts. And finally, we must dedicate ourselves to serving gladly in all tasks as long as is necessary.
No one has said that recovery will be easy, however, it is my belief that it will be worth it.
My name is Tracy Renee Lee. I am a Certified Grief Counselor (GC-C), Funeral Director (FDIC), published author, syndicated columnist, and co-founder of the “Mikey Joe Children’s Memorial” and Heaven Sent, Corp. I write books, weekly bereavement articles, and Grief BRIEFs related to understanding and coping with grief. I am the American Funeral Director of the Year Runner-Up and recipient of the BBB’s Integrity Award.
It is my life's work to comfort the bereaved and help them live on.
The past two weeks have been difficult for me. I have suffered the loss of a dear friend and have served families that have suffered great losses. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unwarranted loss, stress, and heartache to so many people this year. Not only have we lost loved ones, but we have lost our economy, our comfort, and our security as Americans. Everywhere I look, it seems that people are rude and uncaring toward each other when what we need is love. I wish we could be kind to each other, considerate to each other, and help each other through our difficulties rather than burning cities, burning businesses, and tearing apart what makes up great, our Union. Americans are the most blessed people in the world. We live in a time of convenience and wealth. Why is it then that we can’t add kindness and respect to our society? Why must there be murders and brutal attacks on innocent people walking down the street? I work with families every day who would give all that they have for just one more moment with their loved one to say, “I’m sorry” or “I love you.” Time is so precious, but even more precious is the way that we treat others. For if we treat others with contempt, we will reap the bitter reward of hatred. Hate eats a person from the inside out, and no matter how hard a hateful person tries to find happiness, it will never come to them. I know this because I see it every day. A hateful heart has no room for happiness. Happiness only comes to those who love. Love is like light. Light is the only thing that is stronger than the dark. If you have a completely dark room and you strike a match, the light from that match will push the darkness away and light up the room. Conversely, if you have a room filled with light and you cup your hands to create a spot of darkness. As soon as you open your hands, the dark is gone. Light overpowers it just as love overpowers hate. Love is the only thing that is stronger than hate. If you strike an ember of love in the heart of someone full of hate, love will grow and overtake their hatred. In my profession, love is very important. I see all too often those who have pushed love aside thinking that they were winning an argument or for some other ridiculous reason. What I see when this happens is that at the end of life, those who were foolish and let hatred get the best of them suffer the most. They remain miserable for the rest of their lives. Don’t be one of these people. Don’t let hatred get the best of you. And most assuredly, let us not allow hatred to overtake our country. I don’t want to live in a world filled with hatred and discontent. I want happiness and love for all. I especially want love in your life when you suffer loss because believe me, when the grim reaper knocks, it’s too late to cry for one more moment to say, “I’m sorry” or “I love you.” At that moment, the weight of hatred crushes every hope you ever had to make amends, to accomplish happiness, or to right any wrong you may have perpetrated. It’s too late and you are the person who will suffer the consequences of your vicious actions. You are the person who will have no friends, no love, and who will die alone; miserable because of your hatred and terrible deeds. I know because I see it in so many people who thought they could just make a statement, a judgment, or an action and not suffer the consequences. In the end, it’s the hateful people who suffer the consequences. They die alone without love or support. Their needs are not met and they writhe in misery. I lost a dear friend this past week. He was kind, loving, and good. He made the world a better place, and he made my life happier through his actions of kindness toward me. I wish everyone alive could have known my friend. Christ died to make man holy, and my friend John took up his offer. John was a holy man. He lived his life serving others, teaching others, and helping anyone who needed help. He was filled with love and he shared his love with those who needed it. If we could all be like John, the world would be an amazingly happy and beautiful place. John is gone and I feel the weight of his loss deeply in my soul. He leaves a legacy of service to our nation, service to Christ, and service to anyone who needed it. He was a good man, a great man, and now he is gone. I will have the honor of directing his memorial service in a few days. The church will be bursting as those who John served make their way there to express their sorrow and love for him. I will be one of those people. John’s legacy will continue in his absence because he ignited goodness, love, and service in the hearts of those about him. May we all understand and embrace John’s mission in life to serve and love our fellow beings. Doing so will bring us the greatest rewards. It will fill our lives with the greatest gifts on earth; joy, happiness, and love. This is my prayer for you, for our nation, and for the world during this time of uncertainty and discontent. Thank you, John, for being my friend, and my God bless you as you arrive home, never to suffer more, the pains of the world nor heartaches of men. Godspeed.
I received a first call late last night and was therefore at the hospital when I ran into an acquaintance of mine. As we spoke, she told me that her father had recently died. She began to cry and I offered to send over a set of my grief books (Mourning Light I, II, & III) to her office the following morning. I wrote her a sympathy card and delivered the books about 15 minutes ago. She had not yet arrived at her office, so I left the books and card with her secretary. The following is the note I wrote in the sympathy card. I thought I would share it, in hopes that it might help others who mourn as well. Dear Friend, February will be the 2nd anniversary of my grandson’s death. It is said that “Death is Final”; that is untrue. The pain and loneliness remain in my soul, and it feels as though I held his lifeless body, yesterday, in my arms. That day broke me; it almost killed me. Had I not had the love and support of my husband and children, I don’t think my sanity would have remained with me. The pain continues to crush my soul with anguish. There are 4 things that have helped me survive the debilitating pain of losing my grandson, and I wanted to share them with you in hopes that you might find peace in them as well. Prayer Prayer was, and continues to be, my saving grace. Without the love and promise of Christ’s redeeming grace, peace would remain unobtainable. Recounting my Experience Sharing my story out loud made it real. It took away my fear. It gave me power over the chaos of pain. Information As a certified grief counselor, knowing what to expect and whether it was normal or abnormal helped keep my worries at bay. The books that I have sent over are filled with information, plainly and simply written, to help you understand and identify the symptoms of grief, as well as recovery’s signs and secrets. Journaling Writing down my anguishes, thoughts, pains, worries, and fears helped me to let them go. I was able to organize myself, and it gave me hope for my future. I am sorry for the dreadful sorrow in your heart, and the pain that infiltrates your daily existence. I understand that breathing feels unnatural, it takes effort to continue on, and that peace eludes you. I wish that death did not exist, but it is a reality that the both of us know all too well; one that we must endure. I believe that families are forever, that we are all God’s children, and that we will reunite with our loved ones across the veil as we too, one day, experience death. Until that day arrives, however, I pray that you and I will live our lives as emissaries of Christ, basking in his grace, and recipients of his glory. I hope that as you suffer the loss of your daddy that you will feel comfortable in reaching out to others, and that you might call me should you need assistance. The pain of grief should never be carried nor suffered in silence, nor alone. Reach out and allow those who love and care for you to lighten your burdens. Life will never be as it once was, but it will improve as you share priceless moments of peace with those who remain by your side. I hold you in high esteem, and pray that Christ’s promise will grace your soul. With Deepest Regards, Tracy Lee My name is Tracy Renee Lee. I am a Certified Grief Counselor (GC-C), Funeral Director (FDIC), published author, syndicated columnist, and co-founder of the “Mikey Joe Children’s Memorial” and Heaven Sent, Corp. I write books, weekly bereavement articles, and Grief BRIEFs related to understanding and coping with grief. I am the American Funeral Director of the Year Runner-Up and recipient of the BBB’s Integrity Award. It is my life's work to comfort the bereaved and help them live on, as well as educate adults in the needs of surviving children.