DVDs of the 1 hour service held at Camp Arnold, Ohio May 28-30, 2010 are available to you for free via us mail. The service, being 1 hour in length is apparently too big to post anywhere (if you know where I could post and stream a 1 hour 1.7Gb lo res video file for free, let me know). So send me your name and address (KitAustinMemorial@gmail.com) and I'll mail you one ...free!
Best to All.
Tom
Saturday, June 5, 2010
See Tom and Bunny's photos of Kit's Camp Arnold Memorial (click here)
Here's a link to the photos Bunny took during Kit's epic Memorial weekend. We didn't get shots of everybody - only a few folks actually. We were enjoying being with everybody so much we forgot to take pictures. Email a link to your posted photos to KitAustinMemorial@gmail.com and I'll post it here.
Tom and Bunny
Click the Title Text in pale green above or copy/paste the URL below to activate the link to our photos.)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/52643545@N00/sets/72157624083876573/
Tom and Bunny
Click the Title Text in pale green above or copy/paste the URL below to activate the link to our photos.)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/52643545@N00/sets/72157624083876573/
Memorial Service held for Kit at Camp Arnold - May 28-30, 2010
Over Memorial Day weekend 2010, eighty one (81 - our best count) of Kit’s friends and family and 9 dogs (pretty sure about that number) gathered at Camp Arnold, Ohio, Kit and Ron’s outdoor family retreat in the Hocking Hills near Logan, Ohio. Camp Arnold has been the scene of countless outdoor gatherings over the years. All who have been there know and treasure the magic that happens there. Most of us camped out that weekend, a few stayed in nearby motels. We all took part in the overwhelming, palpable fellowship around the inextinguishable fire pit, the supremely great live acoustic music and the large group meals. We came from all over the Eastern U.S., from Florida, New York, Connectiticut, from Atlanta, San Francisco, South Carolina, and of course many from central Ohio where Kit made her home. We were all ages, from suckling infants to toddlers, teeagers, young adults, parents in their 30s, 40s, 50s, grandparents and great grandparents in their 60s, 70s and 80s. It was among the most stirring gatherings of which I have ever had the priviledge of being a part. We were all there to honor Kit Austin. Words fall short as a means to describe what Kit meant to each of us. The best way for me to describe the kind of mother, spouse, sister, friend and confidant Kit was, is to repeat what I heard so many say during that Memorial Day weekend of 2010... “Kit made me feel like I was her best friend”. Rest in Peace, Kit. I love you. Your bro, Tom
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Craig Curtis' Eulogy
NOTE: The following was giving by Kit's big brother, Craig Curtis at Kit's Memorial Service, May 29, 2010 at Camp Arnold, Ohio. Craig was the first to speak. - Tom
Stanley, Bunny and I want to express our gratitude and immense appreciation to everyone here...to Kit’s family, her extended family and to all her friends who helped her so much. We are comforted to know that so many people cared about Kit... That so many went above and beyond in helping her, not just this time, but also in her previous bouts with her challenges. You know who are and we thank you more than these few words can say.
We are all born…we enter life...and then...pass from life…
It is the journey between entering and passing that gives rise to our story...
Kit’s story, is a story of a miraculous heart,
...There are both a physical and spiritual sides to her heart...
...it is a story of sheer willpower, determination and a strong spirit to survive
...coupled with gentle love, kindness and a deep caring for her family.
All of us are upset our loss. Still, let me point out that we SHOULD be happy at the 64 years that she did have with us...
Kit’s life as we know it was not supposed to happen.....
…that is why I say...
…her heart was a miracle...
…her life was a miracle...
…and most important…her children were a miracle...
First, the physical story...
In the fall of 1946, some of the smartest people on the planet predicted that today’s celebration of Kit’s life... would never happened...
What am I saying? ...putting it truthfully, at birth, Kit was not supposed to live beyond the age of 7...
...it was a grim prediction...at the very beginning of her new life.
Kit was born with a defective heart. She was born a “blue baby’ and almost all “blue babies” never were expected to become teenagers, much less adults.
Why? At the time of hr birth, there were no heart operations on adults...much less infants. Today, we take for granted the angioplasties, the by-pass operations, the value repairs, but NONE...of these heart procedures existed when Kit was born.
Our Mother, who is buried here at Camp Arnold, was a very determined woman and refused to accept the doctors’ verdict. Mother fought hard for Kit’s life and from Mother, Kit learned how to fight for her own life as well. In time, Mother got Kit into the world’s foremost pediatric heart center at the Children Hospital in Boston. Kit underwent several early exploratory operations to “map” her heart for possible future procedures.
The best medical advice at the time was to move KIT to a warm tropical climate. In the tropics, her blood would thin...her weak heart would pump less, and by doing so, she MIGHT extend the life of her heart until such time as medical technology could catch up to her condition.
So in order to save Kit’s life, the family... literally moved to the Carribean. During this time, Kit returned to Children’s Hospital in Boston for several more “exploratory” operations over the ensuing years. After a period of about 11 years in the tropics, her condition improved enough so that the family was able to return to the States. She continued with more operations, cumulating with a major 14 hour “open heart surgery” operation in Birmingham, Alabama. As fate would have it, the medical technology advanced to the point where her “blue” condition was fixable. Finally she became a “normal” person in her early 20’s. She started her family. A family was so important to her. Next, she had her 2 girls by natural child-birth. Astounding!
Afterwards, there were always the occasional “check-ups”, “tune-ups” and in time, a value replacement or two, along with their complications...and this is where most of you all came in, to help her through all her recent bouts...
...all in all, we should rejoice in that she survived for 57 years beyond the earlier predictions made at birth.
But recently, her physical heart said “Kit...I know that your spirit is willing to go on, but I’m tired...I’ve been cut, scarred and stitched too often...We’ve been through so much so together... I just can’t go on any longer and I am truly sorry…So I am giving you back to your higher power...”
I am so sorry for all that Kit suffered, but also I am so proud for her strength, bravery and love that showed as she fought her illness to the very end.
You know the rest of the story…
________________________
Now to the spiritual side of her heart…
It is the SPIRIT of Kit’s heart that we remember today....
her physical illness made her into a person who always thought about others before thinking of herself....
her heart was an exceptionally generous one......
she was almost childlike in her desire to do good for others...
it was as if she had already received so much in her life and she put others’ needs before her own...
... and she turned out to be such an extraordinary sister, wife, mother and grandmother and friend.
We will hear a lot more about Kit extraordinary spirit from others in a moment…
So the light has gone out of our lives and there seems to be a bit of darkness everywhere... I know her body no longer has life. But I still feel Kit is still right here at Camp Arnold, along with Mother....
As we were driving out to Camp Arnold, somewhere around Maryland, Kit and I seemed to have a conversation... and I think her words summed up her life and the way she lived it.
I said: Kit, I am glad that you are no longer in pain, but I miss you...my heart aches...
Kit said:
Tell everybody that I love them...and that I'm ok.
Let them know how proud I am of them, and ask them not to miss me
...because I'm still around...
and for the time being, just let my body go...
...don’t shed too many tears
...Be thankful, we’ve had so many good years
...Everybody gave me so much love...you can only guess
...How much they’ve returned to me in happiness.
...I thank you all for the love you have given,
...But now it’s time to move on to heaven.
...Grieve for a while, if you must...
...Then let your grief be comforted...I trust
...That it is only for a while that we must part,
...So treasure the memories inside your heart.
...I won't be far away.
...And if you need me, I’ll be near
...And if you listen with your heart, you'll hear
...my love, so soft, flowing and clear...
...And then, when you too come this way,
...I'll greet you with a hug and say
“Welcome...I love you...”
Kit, my miracle sister, lives in our spirit...
...now she joins our mother here...at Camp Arnold
... She will be in our hearts as long as we live.
...Kit, we all love you.
...Kit, I love you...
Stanley, Bunny and I want to express our gratitude and immense appreciation to everyone here...to Kit’s family, her extended family and to all her friends who helped her so much. We are comforted to know that so many people cared about Kit... That so many went above and beyond in helping her, not just this time, but also in her previous bouts with her challenges. You know who are and we thank you more than these few words can say.
We are all born…we enter life...and then...pass from life…
It is the journey between entering and passing that gives rise to our story...
Kit’s story, is a story of a miraculous heart,
...There are both a physical and spiritual sides to her heart...
...it is a story of sheer willpower, determination and a strong spirit to survive
...coupled with gentle love, kindness and a deep caring for her family.
All of us are upset our loss. Still, let me point out that we SHOULD be happy at the 64 years that she did have with us...
Kit’s life as we know it was not supposed to happen.....
…that is why I say...
…her heart was a miracle...
…her life was a miracle...
…and most important…her children were a miracle...
First, the physical story...
In the fall of 1946, some of the smartest people on the planet predicted that today’s celebration of Kit’s life... would never happened...
What am I saying? ...putting it truthfully, at birth, Kit was not supposed to live beyond the age of 7...
...it was a grim prediction...at the very beginning of her new life.
Kit was born with a defective heart. She was born a “blue baby’ and almost all “blue babies” never were expected to become teenagers, much less adults.
Why? At the time of hr birth, there were no heart operations on adults...much less infants. Today, we take for granted the angioplasties, the by-pass operations, the value repairs, but NONE...of these heart procedures existed when Kit was born.
Our Mother, who is buried here at Camp Arnold, was a very determined woman and refused to accept the doctors’ verdict. Mother fought hard for Kit’s life and from Mother, Kit learned how to fight for her own life as well. In time, Mother got Kit into the world’s foremost pediatric heart center at the Children Hospital in Boston. Kit underwent several early exploratory operations to “map” her heart for possible future procedures.
The best medical advice at the time was to move KIT to a warm tropical climate. In the tropics, her blood would thin...her weak heart would pump less, and by doing so, she MIGHT extend the life of her heart until such time as medical technology could catch up to her condition.
So in order to save Kit’s life, the family... literally moved to the Carribean. During this time, Kit returned to Children’s Hospital in Boston for several more “exploratory” operations over the ensuing years. After a period of about 11 years in the tropics, her condition improved enough so that the family was able to return to the States. She continued with more operations, cumulating with a major 14 hour “open heart surgery” operation in Birmingham, Alabama. As fate would have it, the medical technology advanced to the point where her “blue” condition was fixable. Finally she became a “normal” person in her early 20’s. She started her family. A family was so important to her. Next, she had her 2 girls by natural child-birth. Astounding!
Afterwards, there were always the occasional “check-ups”, “tune-ups” and in time, a value replacement or two, along with their complications...and this is where most of you all came in, to help her through all her recent bouts...
...all in all, we should rejoice in that she survived for 57 years beyond the earlier predictions made at birth.
But recently, her physical heart said “Kit...I know that your spirit is willing to go on, but I’m tired...I’ve been cut, scarred and stitched too often...We’ve been through so much so together... I just can’t go on any longer and I am truly sorry…So I am giving you back to your higher power...”
I am so sorry for all that Kit suffered, but also I am so proud for her strength, bravery and love that showed as she fought her illness to the very end.
You know the rest of the story…
________________________
Now to the spiritual side of her heart…
It is the SPIRIT of Kit’s heart that we remember today....
her physical illness made her into a person who always thought about others before thinking of herself....
her heart was an exceptionally generous one......
she was almost childlike in her desire to do good for others...
it was as if she had already received so much in her life and she put others’ needs before her own...
... and she turned out to be such an extraordinary sister, wife, mother and grandmother and friend.
We will hear a lot more about Kit extraordinary spirit from others in a moment…
So the light has gone out of our lives and there seems to be a bit of darkness everywhere... I know her body no longer has life. But I still feel Kit is still right here at Camp Arnold, along with Mother....
As we were driving out to Camp Arnold, somewhere around Maryland, Kit and I seemed to have a conversation... and I think her words summed up her life and the way she lived it.
I said: Kit, I am glad that you are no longer in pain, but I miss you...my heart aches...
Kit said:
Tell everybody that I love them...and that I'm ok.
Let them know how proud I am of them, and ask them not to miss me
...because I'm still around...
and for the time being, just let my body go...
...don’t shed too many tears
...Be thankful, we’ve had so many good years
...Everybody gave me so much love...you can only guess
...How much they’ve returned to me in happiness.
...I thank you all for the love you have given,
...But now it’s time to move on to heaven.
...Grieve for a while, if you must...
...Then let your grief be comforted...I trust
...That it is only for a while that we must part,
...So treasure the memories inside your heart.
...I won't be far away.
...And if you need me, I’ll be near
...And if you listen with your heart, you'll hear
...my love, so soft, flowing and clear...
...And then, when you too come this way,
...I'll greet you with a hug and say
“Welcome...I love you...”
Kit, my miracle sister, lives in our spirit...
...now she joins our mother here...at Camp Arnold
... She will be in our hearts as long as we live.
...Kit, we all love you.
...Kit, I love you...
Performance Dedicated to Kit Austin May 29th in Atlanta, Ga
Kit's friend Sandra Hughes dedicated her performance May 29th at the Decatur Arts Festival - near Atlanta, Georgia to Kit's memory. Here are links to short videos of "The Bee Factor" performance (written in response to the world wide plight of the honeybee) performed with the "Dancing Flowers for Peace".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyrOg_k1iss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojgn3vSF8c8
CREDITS:
"The Bee Factor"
Directors: Noel Marts, Lesly Fredman, Lori Teague
Lori Teague - Worker Bee
Sandra Hughes - Queen Bee
Flowers: Lynn Hess, Taylor St. Claire, Noel Marts, Lesly Fredman,Marie Carrera, Darlene Carra, Alison Mawley,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyrOg_k1iss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojgn3vSF8c8
CREDITS:
"The Bee Factor"
Directors: Noel Marts, Lesly Fredman, Lori Teague
Lori Teague - Worker Bee
Sandra Hughes - Queen Bee
Flowers: Lynn Hess, Taylor St. Claire, Noel Marts, Lesly Fredman,Marie Carrera, Darlene Carra, Alison Mawley,
See Ya Thursday
I sit and try to write the words, I want your heart to hear.
Hoping to find some comfort, in the fact that you’re not here.
I do believe with all my heart, that your soul has gone to be,
With all the other angels, that you were meant to see.
I will have to stay behind, until God calls me too,
So do not be afraid, that he's only called for you.
I’ll never forget one minute we spent,
of loving and laughing, of places we went.
You shall always be my favorite sister,
And my love of you will never fester.
All life is a tapestry and yours so filled with liven
You should be so very proud of all that you have driven
Now go and play, my little Kitten, and look down when you can,
remembering “we all” love you, and this is not the end.
See you Thursday
Bunny Vrooman
NOTE: Given at Kit's Memorial Service, Camp Arnold, Ohio, May 29, 2010 by Bunny - Tom
Hoping to find some comfort, in the fact that you’re not here.
I do believe with all my heart, that your soul has gone to be,
With all the other angels, that you were meant to see.
I will have to stay behind, until God calls me too,
So do not be afraid, that he's only called for you.
I’ll never forget one minute we spent,
of loving and laughing, of places we went.
You shall always be my favorite sister,
And my love of you will never fester.
All life is a tapestry and yours so filled with liven
You should be so very proud of all that you have driven
Now go and play, my little Kitten, and look down when you can,
remembering “we all” love you, and this is not the end.
See you Thursday
Bunny Vrooman
NOTE: Given at Kit's Memorial Service, Camp Arnold, Ohio, May 29, 2010 by Bunny - Tom
PROFILES OF LOVE
A pretty girl with long straight hair and a dark peacoat comes out of the dark,resting on the corner of a building-her eyes resting on me.the building has texture to the touch, the girl has touched me with her beauty and mystery. Her father, on the other side of the room smiles as his eyes squint with merriment, wisdom twinkling with life that can never die. Framed faces of strength and beauty, spirit and laughter, courage and mission, lovingly etched by a steady hand of one who knew how to capture the face of goodness - profiles of love - oh! how luckey we are! It was our blessing to have known-to know- oh! how luckey-to have shared the hugs, the laughter, the love! Oh! how luckey! Under orion tonight-while Norbert speaks with us thru his spirit guide and the mayflies dance! Oh! How luckey we are!
David Bonta
NOTE: Given at Kit's Memorial Service, Camp Arnold, Ohio, May 29, 2010 by me in David Bonta's absence - Tom
David Bonta
NOTE: Given at Kit's Memorial Service, Camp Arnold, Ohio, May 29, 2010 by me in David Bonta's absence - Tom
Kit
With a heart full of love and eyes full of mischief she gifted me with her friendship as we sat at her kitchen table - just the two of us - shared our stories, drank our tea and laughed as we watched an albino squirrel perform acrobatics through the window of the patio door. We rose and walked outside to visit the honeybees that lived in the hollow of a tree. The bees are dying in vast numbers on our planet and I told Kit what joy it brought me to see a honeybee colony thriving in her backyard. Today, as you remember Kit, I care for Bunny and Tom's two new honeybee hives in Atlanta and perform in The Bee Factor this evening to encourage people to help save the bees. My performance is dedicated to Kit's memory and the subtle wisdom and quiet grace that flowed from her life into mine. I was deeply touched by Kit and Ron's repeated hospitality to me in support of the growth of my theater collection at Ohio State University and it was a great pleasure to have had the opportunity to meet some of you at the lovely Sunday brunch at their home. It's wonderful to know that you've gathered to honor Kit at a place that means so much to her. I send each of you my love and deepest condolences.
Sandra Hughes
NOTE: Given at Kit's Memorial Service, Camp Arnold, Ohio, May 29, 2010 by Christina Spach in Sandra Hughes' absence - Tom
Sandra Hughes
NOTE: Given at Kit's Memorial Service, Camp Arnold, Ohio, May 29, 2010 by Christina Spach in Sandra Hughes' absence - Tom
I'm Still Talking to Kit
Believe it or not, I talk to kit every day, just like we did when she was here. We talk about the same things as before. small talk. big talk. funny talk. Mostly we talk about how proud she is of her two beautiful daughters, Jody and Renee, and how happy she is that they will have each other to get through any of life’s problems as they come up. She’s also so proud of her beautiful granddaughters, Brianna, and the two little ones, Nyla and Sasha. She will be watching over them and knows we all will be keeping an eye out for them. Kit became an inspiration to me from the first time I laid eyes on her. She was just a little bit of a girl. It was so obvious that she was a special soul.
Love ya, Kit
Terry Vrooman
NOTE: Given at Kit's Memorial Service, Camp Arnold, Ohio, May 29, 2010 by me in Terry Vrooman's absence - Tom
Love ya, Kit
Terry Vrooman
NOTE: Given at Kit's Memorial Service, Camp Arnold, Ohio, May 29, 2010 by me in Terry Vrooman's absence - Tom
Monday, May 24, 2010
Kit
Frank and I first met Kit and Bunny at Bill and Terry's house in Fairfield when they arrived after Bill died and preparations were being made to carry out his wishes. I wish there had been an opportunity to meet them before that but we were very impressed by their genuine niceness. Over the years we kept in touch trough Terry and knew of her health problems and prayed for her. She was a miracle baby and a lovely, intelligent woman who seemed to live life to the fullest.
God bless her family and bring them peace knowing she loved them.
Lena and Frank Novak
Note: Lena and Frank are Kit's Aunt and Uncle - Tom
God bless her family and bring them peace knowing she loved them.
Lena and Frank Novak
Note: Lena and Frank are Kit's Aunt and Uncle - Tom
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
From Olga de la Victoria
She will be remembered by me and I will be the better person for having expeienced her:
K indness
I ntuitiveness
T enderness
Thank you Kit for having crossed and enriched my life's path.
Olga de la Victoria
K indness
I ntuitiveness
T enderness
Thank you Kit for having crossed and enriched my life's path.
Olga de la Victoria
Friday, April 2, 2010
Memorial for Kit
A memorial service is planned for Kit over Memorial Day weekend 2010. I hope some in attendance will send comments for posting here afterward. Send whatever you would like to post here to KitAustinMemorial@gmail.com and I will post it.
Peace, Tom
Peace, Tom
Thursday, February 4, 2010
A Letter from Brianna
The following is a letter from Kits granddaughter Brianna to Brianna's great grandmother written shortly after Kit passed away. It is reprinted here with Bri's permission. -Tom
Hey Grandma,
How are you doing since the loss?
I Have been slowly becoming myself again.
I say goodnight to her still everynite like i did when she was here,
I miss her but life goes on. ya know.?
So i just think about how much she loved it when i smile, and it helps me stop crying.
So next time you feel down just remember that she liked it better when you smiled
Love,
Brianna Caitlyn Saultz
Hey Grandma,
How are you doing since the loss?
I Have been slowly becoming myself again.
I say goodnight to her still everynite like i did when she was here,
I miss her but life goes on. ya know.?
So i just think about how much she loved it when i smile, and it helps me stop crying.
So next time you feel down just remember that she liked it better when you smiled
Love,
Brianna Caitlyn Saultz
Sunday, January 10, 2010
The light Kit lit
My time knowing Kit was short, but the memories of her will last me.
On one silver evening she lit our house with her presence and brought laughter and joy along for the ride. The room was warmed with her stories past and created one for the present. In a single moment she blew in and it was as if she had always been there, maybe she always was.
The moment was music and laughter, hot food and strong drink. Friends and feast, improper stories, and improbable lies … Her needle danced and pierced the cloth from which our memories are sewn and wove her joyous thread deeply into it. She pressed her indelible mark on a moment in time, and gave us an evening steeped in grace.
She slipped out and left me with a hug, a kiss, a goose and a little piece of her perfect heart … and I’m a happier man for it.
Kit and Bun are a matched pair, fire and phoenix, sister stars. The light shines bright in those two.
So let the fires burn and the stories roll, remember the light that was Kit and how brightly she glowed.
Some lights just never go out.
Trevor Irvin
Atlanta, Georgia
On one silver evening she lit our house with her presence and brought laughter and joy along for the ride. The room was warmed with her stories past and created one for the present. In a single moment she blew in and it was as if she had always been there, maybe she always was.
The moment was music and laughter, hot food and strong drink. Friends and feast, improper stories, and improbable lies … Her needle danced and pierced the cloth from which our memories are sewn and wove her joyous thread deeply into it. She pressed her indelible mark on a moment in time, and gave us an evening steeped in grace.
She slipped out and left me with a hug, a kiss, a goose and a little piece of her perfect heart … and I’m a happier man for it.
Kit and Bun are a matched pair, fire and phoenix, sister stars. The light shines bright in those two.
So let the fires burn and the stories roll, remember the light that was Kit and how brightly she glowed.
Some lights just never go out.
Trevor Irvin
Atlanta, Georgia
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Our Kit
A twinkle in her eye.....a smile that can melt a glacier.....a mischievous giggle and if you are lucky, a pinch on the bunz or a tickle......
Gosh I was hoping to see you again.....maybe I will some day
Tom Briggs
Gosh I was hoping to see you again.....maybe I will some day
Tom Briggs
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Kit
June 2008
Equal parts sprite and wise woman - her eyes glowed as she told me there were bees in the tree in her backyard. We visited the honeybee colony each day. When an albino squirrel visited, I marveled as Kit snapped photos of the bees in the hollow of the tree. She felt and supported my passion for these tiny disappearing and dying insects that make so much of our human food supply possible. Kit is ally and kindred spirit still -both to myself and the bees.
Sandra Hughes
12/29/09
ATL
Equal parts sprite and wise woman - her eyes glowed as she told me there were bees in the tree in her backyard. We visited the honeybee colony each day. When an albino squirrel visited, I marveled as Kit snapped photos of the bees in the hollow of the tree. She felt and supported my passion for these tiny disappearing and dying insects that make so much of our human food supply possible. Kit is ally and kindred spirit still -both to myself and the bees.
Sandra Hughes
12/29/09
ATL
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Unbroken Chain
Death is nothing at all.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
I am I and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other,
that we still are.
Call me by my old familiar name.
Speak to me in the easy way
which you always used.
Put no difference in your tone.
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word
that it always was.
Let it be spoken without affect,
without the trace of a shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same that it ever was.
There is absolutely unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind
because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you,
for an interval,
somewhere very near,
just around the corner.
All is well.
~ Henry Scott Holland
I Love You Kitten, Bunny
NOTE: Given at Kit's Memorial Service, May 29, 2010, Camp Arnold, Ohio by me. - Tom
I have only slipped away into the next room.
I am I and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other,
that we still are.
Call me by my old familiar name.
Speak to me in the easy way
which you always used.
Put no difference in your tone.
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word
that it always was.
Let it be spoken without affect,
without the trace of a shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same that it ever was.
There is absolutely unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind
because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you,
for an interval,
somewhere very near,
just around the corner.
All is well.
~ Henry Scott Holland
I Love You Kitten, Bunny
NOTE: Given at Kit's Memorial Service, May 29, 2010, Camp Arnold, Ohio by me. - Tom
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