2010 has begun
Andy and the Graff Spec families have received hundreds of get well cards during Eileen’s illness and then the many letters and cards of condolences when she died in October. Each and every one of them had touching verses, prayers and personally hand written words to console the grieving.
The many expressions of love for Eileen showed what a special lady, daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, grandmother, friend and companion she was to everyone in her life. One special letter was from a priest that included the following ballad:
They say when you gain a lover, you begin to lose a friend.
The end of the beginning is the beginning of the end.
They say the moment that you’re born is when you start to die.
And the first time that we say hello began our last goodbye.
We know each summer’s coming means that winter’s waiting there.
And gold would not be precious if we all had gold to share.
October 22, 2009
Dear Andrew,
May our Lord grant you peace!
In your time of sorrow, I trust it will bring you comfort to know that you and your family are being remembered in thought and prayer by Barbara and Emidio Masciarelli. I realize how great your sorrow must be and I want to assure you that I will remember you and your wife, Eileen, in my daily prayers. Through the sympathy of Barbara and Emidio, I have arranged to have a Mass offered promptly for Eileen. May she rest eternally in the loving arms of our Lord.
There is a ballad that says, “They say when you gain a lover, you begin to lose a friend. The end of the beginning’s the beginning of the end. They say the moment that you’re born is when you start to die. And the first time that we said hello, began our last good-bye. We know each summer’s coming means that winter’s waiting there, and gold would not be precious if we all had gold to spare…” The ballad captures the mystery of life and death and what we feel when someone we dearly love has died. There are three things we need to do in dealing with death: remember, regret, and rejoice. You want to remember your wife and recall your years together. You will regret that she is gone. But you must also rejoice that Eileen is at peace with the Lord in Heaven where there are no goodbyes as together again we rejoice with the Lord. Rest assured that I will not forget you and your family in my prayers and Masses and I trust that the compassion of Jesus will be your abiding consolation.
With heartfelt sympathy,
Fr. Francis Fugini, O.F.M.Cap.