Katie delighting in Sebastian
Today is the second anniversary of Katie’s death after a valiant battle with leiomysosarcoma, a rare terminal cancer.In today’s earlier reposting of Kay’s reflection on her blog, www.rawgrief.com, I quoted the last line of a great hymn.
The composer, T. Tertius Noble, spent his summers in the big house at the top of the wall of Old Garden Beach in Rockport, MA, one block from my grandparents’ home. Only later in life did I learn that this favorite hymn was composed by the man in the house above the wall at the beach.
Here are the lyrics and an organ rendition of the hymn that flooded my mind this morning, as I gave thanks for Katie and thought of Kay’s reflection.
Come, labor on. Away with gloomy doubts and faithless fears!
No arm so weak but may do service here; By feeblest agents
may our God fulfill His righteous will.
Come, labor on. No time for rest, till grows the western sky,
Till the long shadows o’er our pathway lie,
And a glad sound comes with the setting sun,
“Well done, well done!”
Views from the Edge 
There is nothing like a highly skilled musician on a magnificent organ to display musical POWER! That was so strong and purposeful and full of meaning. Same with your posts about your daughter.
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I’ve always said that I could choose to be/do somehting other than who I am and what I do, I would love to play the organ. This organist’s love of Ora Labora and the instrument is exhilarating. Thanks.
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I feel that I have very little that’s meaningful to say either, but I know from experience that it’s worse to say nothing. I’m glad you’re writing about Katie and sharing it here, and that the pain isn’t so sharp and hot today as it has been for your family in the past. I love the healthiness of what you said to Mona. I’m glad you’ve come to this point.
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Thank you for the kind response. Kay’s the champ!
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I am without meaningful comment, except to appreciate the depth of your love and respect for Katie, and to mourn with you her loss. Anniversaries are, I believe, as hard as when it first happened.
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It’s interesting. I know your observation is often on target. It is especially so when the survivors have not done the hard work of grieving. Talking with the family today, and speaking for myself, today is a day of thanksgiving and remembrance. The sadness, anger, screaming, crying were so much a part of our daily lives before Katie died. Today is very different. Everyone seems to be in a good place – solid, real, giving thanks for what was and what is now, and the healthy recognition that none of us ever has anything more than this very moment. The sense of today is that every moemnt is precious. For me it’s been a day of writing about it. And the writing lands me with my hands flying across the organ keys with praise. Thanks, as always, for the sensitivity. Grace and Peace, Gordon
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What a lovely, loving, peaceful, calming response. Thanks.
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