Amethyst & Life

Barb took my hand and walked me up to my dad’s open casket that sat in the chancel of the church.  I remember her warmth, and hand squeezes as I cried.  She took a small amethyst and placed it in my dad’s hands.  At home, under a backyard tree, I ask her, “Why the amethyst Barb?” She told me amethyst protects travelers, and is a calming stone providing balance, peace, and connections between the earth and other worlds.  Her words forever changed how I remember my dad’s death.  I’d been caught up in my own sorrow, and she was focused on my dad’s journey.  Flowers the colors of amethyst, now bring a smile as I think about the journey we call life.