Grandma Just Died...Thank God!

Thank God for peace, comfort, and legacy.

Tags: kaddish, comfort, peace, legacy, our daily bread

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Prayer for Peace and Comfort

Today, I received word that my Grandma has passed away. Once the initial shock of this news subsided, I was reminded of a Jewish prayer called "Mourner's Kaddish". This prayer is customarily spoken aloud whenever a loved one passes away within the community. However, it is not a prayer of sadness. Instead, Kaddish contains recognition of gratitude for the deceased person's life. Through its recital, we acknowledge that we are fortunate to have been given access to the wonderful things brought to our own lives through the other person's life. Additionally, by reciting the prayer, we also note God's infinite wisdom and power over both heaven and earth. Typically, when a loved one passes away, we cannot help but to feel loss and sadness. Kaddish provides us with a special tool to address these feelings inside us. With it, we can request the one thing that nothing and no one else on earth can provide at these times - it's what we need, and it's God's comfort - delivered to us in whichever very personal and unique manner we respond - a manner of delivery that only God knows.

For those who are interested, a copy of the Mourner's Kaddish prayer is posted online.

Legacy

I also thought about the importance of legacy. You see, grandma has 4 children from which 15 grandchildren have already been born. Subsequently, more than twice that number of great-grandchildren were born. As a parent of a mere 2 young ones, these are impressive numbers. They reveal how family-centric ancestry full of hard working parents can enable future generations to prosper. Take a minute to consider this, and I do mean to REALLY think about this - without grandma, you would not be reading this...that alone calls for thanks. If she had not put in the work to raise your mom or dad to adulthood, your life experience would be non existent. So join me in thanking God for Grandma! Your turn: Is there a deceased member of your family whose life was a blessing for you simply because you were able to share it with them? Let the world know about their impact by leaving your comment below.