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Good morning.

A few months ago, I experienced what I would call a ‘Godincidence’. I was having coffee with a parishioner when I recognised an old friend, there in the same café, who I had not seen for 20 years. What a blast from the past that was!

We met up recently to catch up on decades worth of news. It’s always humbling to talk with someone who knew you when you were bright eyed and bushy tailed, and with less grey hair. After reminiscing about people from the good old days, the conversation moved on to more serious matters. My friend was going through a separation. It was a painful, uncertain time, yet there was hopefulness, too. We both talk about grief and the support networks available.

Though not comparable to my friend’s experience, I was reminded of an old friendship that has ebbed away in recent years, one which I thought would last a lifetime, and the sadness of that ending.

It seems that our society only recognises grief when someone or a beloved pet dies. Yet there is also grief in the ending of relationships, be they friendships or romantic ones, and whether they have been short or long-term. We grieve what has been, what could have been different, and what will no longer be. And that needs time. Taking the space to recognise and process the loss is perhaps a useful next step on the road ahead.

So today, I pray for the space to mourn what has been lost, to make time for healing, and to hold on to the hope of each new day.

Amen.