And So I Have Walked

And so I have walked.
At first I walked far from you but in time I walked with you.
By your side.
I do not think it was for a short time or for a long time.
I simply know we walked together and I am grateful for every moment.
My journey now is different.
And though I still walk with you, my path has ever widened.
And for you it may feel as if I am not there at all.
I know.
I knew that feeling many times myself before now.
And now, oh now, I have come to grasp the beauty of all of it
That grief is a product of love and though grief may pass, love will remain.
So do not scorn the grief lest you lose hold of love.
Rather, know that I carry you with me on my path.
Open your eyes and heart to those around and about you who walk beside you now.
Reach out your hand to join all joy, to comfort all sorrow, and to meet all needs.
In this, you carry me on your path.
In this, you celebrate all who you miss and with whom I walk.
In this, you join our paths in love and remember that we are never truly apart.