A Shining Light

TODAY: Enjoy this poem about a special friend in Christ.

You brightened our world, Eleanor dear
With your smile, your sparkle, your grace
We can take some comfort
Knowing that you are now
In a kinder, gentler place

We honor and rejoice that you were part of our lives
You’re a woman made from most special cloth
And someday when we’re
All together again
We’ll take up just where we left off.

Today we come together to celebrate you
As we see you now at rest
You loved your God and your family
And you loved all of us,
And we feel so very blessed.

The call came about 8:30 p.m. It was from Doug Bursch, our lay leader. Eleanor Brooke was being removed from life-saving machines. What? I had just talked with her at 3 p.m. Eleanor gone? It couldn’t be. At 3 p.m., she was laughing and full of joy, we had talked about attending a wedding shower together, and we were both looking forward to the event. But at 5:30 p.m., she suffered a brain aneurysm, was rushed to the hospital, and her family and friends heard the grim news. There was nothing the doctors could do.

We who knew her went through the next days full of shock and bewilderment. It can’t be, she’s so young, so vibrant, she ate so healthy, she was beginning a new chapter in her life, she had a family. How could this be?
We want answers when answers are hard to find. If we have an answer or a reason, we’ll feel more in control. But I have no answers. I can only appreciate my memories of her.

As Easter approaches and we celebrate Christ’s resurrection and feel the spirit of new life and new beginnings around us, I am reminded of the blessings Eleanor brought to me and others. Through the grace of God, we are sustained by her memory that lives in our hearts and minds. Her spirit and love will never be gone, for each life she touched will carry them on.

When I see bunny rabbits, I think of Eleanor. They were her favorite. I see her beautiful, huge, wonderful smile. I can hear her sounding glad that I had called her on the phone. I saw her learn to trust and share, and it gives me confidence to do the same. Eleanor was a servant as Christ has commanded us to be. Eleanor was a seeker; she showed us by example. To many, she was a beacon of light and shone that light brightly.

You are not forgotten, Eleanor, nor ever will be. I haven’t made sense of your sudden departure from us; I can only take comfort in knowing that God’s plan surpasses my understanding. I am so grateful to God that you came into my life for a short while. I am changed by your loving spirit, your joy, your warmth and your smile. I am blessed to have known you.

— Karen Rhinard