A Part of Me

At times it becomes abundantly clear that life isn’t always fair. As I write this several people in my extended sphere of contacts are confronting the harshest realities of our own mortality. When we reach those inevitable junctures in our lives, some earlier than others, often the only control we have over the situation is how we choose to respond to it. Much of that has to do with how we manage relationships and one of the gifts we can give our loved ones, if we are allowed the opportunity, is the closure they need and deserve. Today, I take the liberty of sharing a poem I was asked to write on behalf of someone with a terminal illness. The goal was to communicate some important feelings of closure in advance while providing a keepsake poem that might still provide connection and comfort at a later time. This is the result, and it has been shared through many similar situations over the years. I hope it may touch a note of comfort in your own life. Also, please feel free to share it with anyone else who might appreciate it for their particular situation. That’s all I’m going to write today, and I’ll let this verse speak for itself.


A Part of Me
A part of me is dying
This fact is looming, close at hand
And overwhelms us to the point
That we can hardly understand
Or even bear to reconsider
Just how fortunate we are
To have known such people in our lives
Who make goodbye so hard
To have known the joy of living
Which some people never find
To have found that life, though fleeting
Was worth the living, and not unkind
Yes, a part of me is dying
But let us not dwell upon
What lies so far beyond control
In time, you'll have to carry on
So please remember that a part of me
Will stay right here with you
Alive and well, within your heart
Through everything you do
There's a part of me you'll always have
That no one can take away
The things we share and understand
Which will last beyond today
But far too soon the time will come
When my life here is through
And the emptiness you feel inside
Will mean I took a part of you
         By Frank Carpenter ©

Friends Forever

Some years ago dear friends, who have been a big part of our lives, moved away. As token of their commitment to stay in touch they gave us a concrete stepping stone with words “friends forever” on it. All these years later that little monument still sits right outside our front door. And, true to its sentiments, we remain very close to that entire family. A while back I wrote the below poem for those friends to commemorate our ongoing devotion to them. Then just the other day the stepping stone caught my eye again and I was reminded how fortunate our family has been in the area long-term relationships. We have a score of family friendships that have lasted decades. In fact, I’ve been known to proclaim that our greatest wealth is in relationship. God has specifically blessed us in this area. This also serves to remind me that we should all be aware of our true friends and work proactively to maintain those relationships. Often we don’t tell people how we feel and they deserve to know it. So call someone and reaffirm your friendship today.


Perhaps, however, you don’t feel surrounded by friends. Hey, it happens. One of the first things in establishing friendships is belonging to groups with a common interest. For instance, many of our relationships trace their foundations back to church, where we have met many other couples with similar interests or children of similar ages over the years. Work, or any other activity, can provide common interest groups as well. One of the other best ways to find friends is simply to be one. For, like so many other areas of our lives, we get from relationships only what we’re willing to put into them. I wish you good fortune in this area as it can be one of the most meaningful aspects of life.

What I do know is that friends have been an amazing blessing to me, to our entire family, throughout the years. They have increased the joy of celebration and tempered the pain of sorrow. They have provided wisdom and encouragement when it was most needed. And occasionally they have reminded me that I was an inconsiderate idiot who should either shut up or apologize … or both. I’ve tried hard to be a good friend to others and found, almost without exception, that those efforts bore much fruit in the form of love and friendship returned. So I will close today by simply offering my gratitude to those special people in my life who have helped to make the journey so worthwhile. Your friendship has made a difference that I thank God for every day!

Friends Forever
As the years go marching by
And friends in life come and go
I realize most will slip away
But there are some we’ll always know
Time threshes out relationships
Years blow the chaff away
Until we discover the friends who go
And the ones who are bound to stay
These are the people we cherish
And we know we’re never alone
Because true friends are forever
Those words are set in stone
              By Frank Carpenter ©