Take my hand; I'll lead you to Salvation

I just finished watching the 25th Anniversary special of Les Miserables. I am a big fan of that musical. The final song of the play is the death of the main character, Jean Valjean. In his final moments, two characters who have already passed away come to him and "take him" to the other side.

This and the lyrics that accompany this part of the show always make me cry.

Take my hand; I'll lead you to Salvation
Take my love; for love is everlasting
And remember the truth that once was spoken:
To love another person is to see the face of God

I recall one of the saddest moments of my life. I sat next to my cousin Christie underneath a window in Room 6 of the ICU of Underwood Hospital. My mother sat in a chair on the right hand side of the hospital bed and my Aunt Louise sat in a chair on the left hand side. In the bed, my beloved Nanny lay dying.

I can still hear my mother telling her mother that it was alright to go now. That she had done her job here and she could go to her sisters, mother and father now.

There was just silence and peace. No more struggles. No more pain.

And as strange as it may sound, it was one of the most beautiful moments of my life.

I am grateful to have been there as she slipped from this world to the next, where I imagine her parents were waiting to welcome her home.

And when I picture my Nanny in Heaven, she is in a South Philadelphia-style row home kitchen. Her sister and her mother are also there. There is a perpetual pot of gravy on the stove and a paper bag filled with fresh rolls from the corner store.

And some day I'll pull up a chair too, pour a cup of coffee and have the privilage of spending time with that amazing woman again.

So yes, that's what that darn song does to me.