a blessing for being someone’s person (here or gone, we love you)

Blessed are the noticers. 

The ones who see the story in its fullness.

Blessed are the attend-ers. 

The witness-bearers. 

The story-holders. 

The ones who tiptoe to the edge right alongside us, 

knowing that the very act will break their heart in pieces too. 

Blessed are those who are amazed by a life lived 

in its fragility, its brevity, its beauty. 

Blessed are the ones who stand close enough to say: “BEHOLD.”

BEHOLD. 

This is their love. 

This is their dumb hobby.

These are the people they loved through every hilarious failure.

These are their bad habits and favorite songs.

This is the marvel I get to know. 

Behold. This is not a problem to be solved. This is a person to be loved. 

And how lucky are we?

These people. 

These loves. 

These precious, precious, precious days. 

Thanks be to God. 

P.S. Thank you to the lovely Ann Patchett for inspiring this blessing.