Another friend of mine has died.
And I’m lost once again in my own feelings of grief
        as I ponder my life without that smile, 
                    without our time together.

When I lose my friends, 
        I always fall into myself for a while,
                    bemoaning my loss.
But within the week, 
    each of these friends have found a way to connect with me.

Sometimes it’s a look in someone’s eye, 
            but it’s always that special look I recognize.
Or it’s a song we both enjoyed together.
Or it’s a phrase someone else says, 
                not realizing 
                it was those same special words 
                    I shared with my departed friend.

So, do people really leave when they die?  
Or do they just disappear from my life 
    and continue to live in a new form beyond my experience?  
Someday I’ll know firsthand more about that.  

But in the meantime, 
I’m at least secure in the fact that true love never dies.  
My friends will always be my friends.  
And they’ll continue to show up in the strangest places, 
                    having lots of fun surprising me.  

On Sundays in church, 
I’ll be muttering the Creed along with the congregation,  
        until I stop at the phrase “Communion of Saints”. 

At that moment, I’m reminded by my Ancestor Christians 
                that life is far bigger than what I can see, 
                and friendship is far more lasting than I sometimes feel.

I still grieve the loss of my friend, 
        but now I know I won’t lose contact for long.
    
I just need to stay alert 
        to the new ways we can stay in touch.