They miss us too

A few weeks ago, one of my priests told me that aside from watching over the boys and me, Nick also misses us. That thought brought me so much comfort, but when I shared it with a widder friend, he asked, "How does he know?" I couldn't answer that question, but I've been thinking about it...

We are always writing about how a part of us is missing, how we have this terrible hole in our hearts and lives. And we all understand that -- our lives and beings were intertwined with our beloved's. And since we have become as one -- I'm hearing Tony and Maria now...

TONY
Make of our hands one hand,
Make of our hearts one heart,
Make of our vows one last vow:
Only death will part us now.

MARIA
Make of our lives one life,
Day after day, one life.

BOTH
Now it begins, now we start
One hand, one heart;
Even death won't part us now.

Make of our lives one life,
Day after day, one life.
Now it begins, now we start
One hand, one heart,
Even death won't part us now.

-- since we have become as one, surely they know that something is missing as well.

But the difference for them is that -- in the words of my Eastern Catholic tradition -- they are in a place where there is no pain, no grief, no sighing. They are part of the eternal now, so while they know we are not with them in our now, they also know that we will be with them again at the heavenly banquet. They miss us -- how can they not? -- and yet they are with us...