Pardon me

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, Ecclesiastes 3: 1-2

And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment—wickedness was there, in the place of justice—wickedness was there. Ecclessiastes 3: 16

I also thought, “As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. Man’s fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?” So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him? Ecclessiastes 3: 18-22

“It’s gon be some stuff you gon see, that’s gon make it hard to smile in the future. But through whatever you see, through all the rain and the pain you gotta keep your sense of humor, you gotta be able to smile thru all this”. Today’s Pardon me message is dedicated to the loving memory of my dear friend Irene Simmons who passed away yesterday, may her memory and spirit always be with us. I received the information yesterday and after talking to multiple people I was still hoping someone got it wrong, that she had not passed but that she was in the hospital. Maybe it wasn’t looking too good but still in all she was still here on this earth with us. Earlier in the day I had planned to go to the bank and mess with her but I never made it, so when I heard the news I kept calling her phone hoping that she would pick up, that I would hear her voice but all I heard was her voicemail.

The young lady had not been out of Temple University a full year when this tragedy happened. I just kept thinking about how young she was, and how much of a beautiful spirit she had. Typically when people pass on I can mask it by just acting as like I haven’t seen them in a while. But as I lay in bed making a youtube tribute to her last night, as her smile glowed at me through the computer screen, I knew that the Irene that I knew was no more. I can’t harass her on the phone, bother her at her job, even with me living in the middle of nowhere she came out to see me and we hung out, none of that anymore.

A friend said to me that her father said to her “we should not weep for the dead because they are better off at that point than we are”. I replied, I guess spiritually I am not at that point just yet. This is why I specifically chose today’s scripture where it says Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?” So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him? Last night I was thinking, my grandmother died when she was 65, there is no doubt in my mind that she is resting in a better place. I mean, she had cancer, it had gotten pretty bad so when the Lord took her I was at peace. It’s always a little different with a younger person, a person who has yet to fully live their life. I know everything happens on God’s time and it happens for a reason but when it’s a younger person who you know, who you are used to talking to it can affect you a little differently.

All in all I know that rather than mourn her memory we must celebrate her life and continue to let her spirit live on through us. For anyone who loses someone, we all know that there is a time for us to die. Let us enjoy our work as the word says, let us enjoy our friends and every moment that we have. We walk around knowing that our days are numbered but mentally we think we will be here forever. Then something like this happens and we are forced to reilize how precious life truly is. Don’t wait until someone passes on to give them your flower, tell them you love them today and honor them while they are still living. Peace and Grace be unto you!

Peace and love Irene, may your memory live on.

Spiritual Exercise | RSS 2.0 | Respond | Trackback |