C.S. Lewis once wondered about his life events,
Realizing his discovery of joy came as an unexpected surprise.
Lewis is not the only one surprised by joy.
Mary and I were working through our grief,
Helping each other turn that sadness into joy
Encouraging one another as the grief we felt
Quietly grew into a mutual love; a joy that surprisingly filled our hearts.
How does one experience such joy and discover love a second time?
The first love, felt for many years, was so exhilarating and wonder-filled,
How can one share such past joys with someone new?
Do past memories need to be shelved, out of the way,
Hidden from all around, in order for the new to fill the heart?
No, instead, memories and hope are wrapped together
As the heart encompasses a second love within its walls!
Memories and hope all wrapped together;
Never will the past be forgotten, nor ignored
But the path ahead, though unknown, is bright with loving care
Our hearts tremble with the hope of renewed life
The joy of sharing what each enjoyed before, but now with someone new.
Because we have suffered loss, but opened ourselves to each other,
We realize anew, we have gained so much because together we are better.
The new path ahead, just like the first, is filled with awe and joy
How is it possible to share such love again?
Love seems more comfortable the second time around,
The trappings of the unknown are not as scary as the first.
Who can say what led us to this miracle we’ve found?
There are those who insist love comes but once and yet
I’m, oh, so glad we met the second time around.
With thanks to Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen for the last four lines
ElderWisdom 