Reece Gardner: There is beauty in saddness

With all the lawlessness, looting, rioting, and violence going on in our country today it is sometimes difficult to maintain a positive attitude, but we have many reasons to be positive, and that's what I want to concentrate on today. There is beauty even in sadness.

My son, Jason, was called into Eternity on November 10, 2014, and that was sad, but his daughter, Little Emma, who at the time was only 5 years of age, wrote some words with the loving assistance from her mother, that brought light to help vanquish the sadness. She wrote: "Walk along beside me, Daddy, and hold my little hand; I have so many things to learn that I don't understand; Teach me things to keep me safe from dangers every day, and show me how to do my best, at home, at work, at play; Every child needs a gentle hand to guide them as they grow, so walk along beside me, Daddy, we have a long way to go. I love you."

Now, Folks, that's BEAUTIFUL! There are so many beautiful thoughts throughout our lives that echo how precious life is and that remind us of what really matters. My Emma went away to Heaven on December 7, 2018, and I cherish her memory.  Here is a poem that I ran across that I believe could very well be her message to me: 

"I see you on days when you're lonely, or wishing we could talk for a while, even though I am now in Heaven, I still want to see you smile; I visit each night when you're sleeping, I come quietly into your dreams, and whisper words so softly, to say death is not what it seems. I see you sometimes at the table, when you don't know that I'm there, as you gaze over at my picture, I hope you know how much I care; I'm sending a hug from Heaven, I wish you could feel it today, and know the love we share is FOREVER, time and space can't take it away."

We can truly be positive about life when we look at it in the following manner:  "Life is but a stopping place, a pause in what's to be, a resting place along the road to sweet eternity;  We all have different journeys, different paths along the way, we all are meant to learn some things, but never meant to stay.

Our destination is a place, far greater than we know, for some the journey's quicker, for some the journey's slow; And when this journey finally ends, we'll claim a great reward, and find an everlasting place, together with the Lord."

And I want to close by saying "THANK YOU" to my daughter, Jessica, and to my son, Reece, for bringing beautiful light into my world.