Tuesday, May 23, 2017
//s3.amazonaws.com/skins.funeraltechweb.com/tribute-gestures/Candle.png
Dear Lisa,Kenny,Demetrius,Colleen, and family, I light this perpetual candle in memory of your beloved Dante as an act of sympathy, care, comfort, friendship and solidarity. Knowing the depth of grief that losing a son in his prime brings to the hearts of those who loved him I feel moved by compassion to reach out to you during your darkest days. Though I didn't know Dante personally, I knew of him mostly through Lisa's openness in sharing the love and life of your beautiful family through her Facebook postings of meaningful family gatherings and life events. Through her insightful and thoughtful reflections on family,life, and the importance of living life to the fullest and in the present moment she has offered to those who value her friendship a glimpse of what it is like to live in a family that truly loves and supports one another. The warmth and affection within the Capezzuto/Passaro family was evident in the many wonderful family photos so generously shared with others. Dante grew up in that family overflowing with love for him and one another. I have no doubt that what he received was internalized and then given to others as he grew from child to adolescent to man, just as beautiful little Demetrius will do as he is surrounded by his loving family who will shelter him through this bitter storm in his young life and guide him through his own life's passages. Looking through your family photos posted here one can see Dante's life displayed in all it's loveliness and beauty. He was a sweet little child, a good looking boy, and an extremely handsome man. It is easy to see he was vivacious and full of a zest for life. There are many memorable photos of him, but I believe my favorite is the one of him holding his infant son in the crook of his arm beaming down at Demetrius with such a light from within that I have to believe that this is just the way that God our loving Father looks upon each of us, his children, throughout our lives. Dante now lives on in the embrace of God who has loved him with an everlasting love and who he is, is hidden with Christ in God. He lives too, in your hearts and in your minds and every memory you have of him tucked away for safekeeping. He lives on in the people whose lives have been blessed by his generous gift of life to those who have received his sacrifice. He lives on too, through every person whose life he touched for the better and perhaps most of all he lives on through Demetrius who reflects his daddy's sparkle in his eyes, his quick and ready smile, his exuberance for life, and surely dozens of expressions that you once saw on Dante you notice coming forth on Demetrius. Perhaps when you least expect it,there it will be, like a gift from the Universe and you'll think,"Ah! There's Dante! Thank you, thank you God for this blessing, this small reminder of our loved one who is with us, yet no longer with us. Thank you," May the love you have for one another bold you ever close, especially during the next few days as you formally mourn and say goodbye along with those of your family and friends who are able to gather with you. And in the days ahead as time begins to pass again and the requirements of daily life press in take time to be very gentle with yourselves. As a friend from afar who cares and in Christian love bears your burden of grief, please know that I am thinking of all of you, praying for you, and holding you close in thought. Healing will come to each of you in your own unique time. When my David died I knew that life was changed forever and I didn't believe that I would ever feel happiness again. When a person experiences the worst kind of human loss there is the future no longer matters. The heart receives a wound that never completely heals, and breaks open again with each subsequent loss. But the "wounded heart" is also capable now of greater love and compassion for others, especially those who are suffering from the loss of a loved one. This growth in compassion mysteriously brings about the eventual healing of the one whose heart has been wounded. In sharing a bit of my own experience of the journey of grief it is my hope that you will be encouraged and comforted knowing that we parents who have lost children can and do return to experience happiness, joy, and peace after loss when it is our time. May the peace, love, and comfort of our Lord embrace you now and bless you in all your needs. With deepest sympathy in Christian love and friendship, Deborah