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Florence was a person who despite her troubles always continued to blossom with an earthy
sort of homespun wisdom. Though she didn't cotton to churchy things I spoke to her of St.
Francis the renegade saint who lived out in nature and loved animals: This is a poem prayer
from Galway Kinnel's St. Francis and the Sow:
The bud.
Florence flowered throughout her life from a place of self-blessing. When we met to talk
about what she would like at her memorial it was this reading she loved and insisted upon
my reading it in full:
The new Humanity.
In Celtic Spirituality and in many cultures death is envisioned as a crossing over. As
we die we are carried over the troubled waters to a misty island called the Isle of
Apples because of its sweet scent. Once arrived thenewly arrived is greeted by all
the loved ones who have crossed before her embracd and welcomed where they will be
reuited forever young forever free. On the journey you are carried and welcomed
by your Anam Cara your soul friend. On the night before Florence made her voyage
she was calling out for someone to come and get her... From everything she said and
from all of you it seems that her soul friend was her John and she would be greeted
by Pixie. Here is a blessing for Death from the book Anam Cara by John Donohue.
A blessing for death.
Florence did have the blessing of dying in her own home, it wasn't easy but her loved
ones were there with her. She will be greatly missed. As Chris, her nurse, was saying
we can all learn from Florence's amazing attitude. It has been our blessing for us
to know her.
Thank you, God for sharing Florence with us. Please comfort this family in their time
of sorrow. Let them carry on Florence's legacy of love. May the perpetual light of
love, the love and light she always turned to, shine upon her now and forever.
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