Small Gifts

First, let me share something that was especially meaningful to me while we were on our trip to Europe.  We were staying in Rome with some sweet friends of ours that we have known since our babies were babies.  We wanted to try and visit as many of the places Ian had on his Rome itinerary as possible, and I think we succeeded pretty well.  One of the places he mentioned, twice, was an area of Rome called Trastevere.  It's a quaint neighborhood of Rome on the other side of the Tiber River.  One evening our friend, Angie (who is a master at driving around Rome) took us there.  We strolled around these narrow, cobble-stoned streets full of shops and bistros.  Then suddenly, we're in a piazza with a fountain in the middle, lined with restaurants and tucked away in the corner is one of the oldest churches in Rome, St Maria in Trastevere.  We went in, it was extraordinarily ornate with a LOT of gold. But that wasn't the amazing part......

The altar

St. Maria in Trastevere piazza

While we are looking around (I hate to admit that at this point in our trip I was not as enthralled by ornate, golden decorated churches as I was at the beginning of our trip - you've seen one Renaissance church, you've seen them all), I started to hear singing and it's was so beautiful.  I turn around and realize it's a group of young adults singing, what I assume, are Latin hymns A Capella.  I thought, 'how wonderful that these young adults think this is 
worthwhile and how fortunate we are to be here, at this exact moment."  Then my mind immedately goes to how much Ian would enjoy this.  Being in a place he wanted to visit,
in a place so full of history with beautiful music and it brought me to tears (I know that's not a hard place for me to go).  It was the most meaningful part of our time in Europe, at least for me.

The moon over St. Maria in Trastevere

As we leave the piazza, we see the moon over the church - it was a perfect night.....and a gift.




I have to include the picture below - as we're walking along the streets we see this group of men playing some kind of game, waving their arms, shouting at each other; being very Italian.  It was great!

 

Today, I visited the cemetery to put more flowers on Ian's grave.  A couple of weeks before we left for Europe I discovered that some small mementos  we had left there were missing.  My brother, Mike, always leaves a penny on the base of the headstone each time he visits and after Emmett died, I left his name tag there; it seemed appropriate since Emmett's ashes were there and Ian loved that darn cat so much.  But all those were gone; we assume as the workmen prepared for a graveside service next to Ian's.  I was heartbroken.

Emmett is back where he belongs,
next to the boy who loved him.

The next two times we were there,
Eric & I  searched all around the headstone for those things, but never found them.
 
Today, as I'm getting ready to leave I look down and there's Emmett's name tag (and yes, I started crying again!).

It was such a little thing (literally) but both of these 'gifts' meant so much.  I know they are reminders from God that He continues to watch over us, that He is with us in this grief.  That as I press on; reading, studying, trying to redefine my relationship with Him, he hasn't given up on me.  So I will keep listening to the Father who loves me and finding my way back to a place of peace.