A Letter to the Grieving

To find that you must remember your parent. The jokes they retold, the meals they savored, the way their arms felt upon your shoulders, or the way they smelled when they hugged you close. In other words, they way they loved and cherished you. Your parent died in an effort to bring freedom to others. Don't misuse your own freedoms to self-destruct.

Honor James, Pamela, Orlando, Bennie, Michael-your mothers and fathers--with a life that will make them as proud of you as you are of them.

Ransom the sacred moments, so that your daddy or mama will be remembered as much for the way they lived as the way they died.

Karen Spears Zacharias is the proud daughter of Stf. Sgt. David Spears, KIA. She can be reached at heromama.org.

© 2005