On Eagle's Wings

Today is one of those cold, crisp, sunny days that is so welcome after a week of seemingly unrelenting cloudy days.  Gwen loved days like this in the winter.  Neither of us are fond of the slushy, indeterminate weather that is so common to Ann Arbor.  When we decided to move to Marquette in 1998, friends would give us a curious look and remind us (As if two born and bred Yoopers would need a reminder.) about the cold winters in the U. P.  My response was always the same, "But it's a dry cold."

Today 's bright sun reminds me of a day when we had driven from Marquette to visit Gwen's folks in Gaastra.  We were on a side-road heading to Gaastra when we rounded corner, and on the side of the ride there appeared a bright, golden,  shiny object.  As we drew nearer and the angle of the sun's rays shifted we saw that it was an eagle eating road kill.  We both marvelled at our good fortune at having had the chance to see what could only be described as an apparition, and, even when it became clear what it was, it is not a common occurrence to come upon an eagle at such close range.  Eagles play a prominent role in  lore that has accumulated around funerals in Gwen's family.  What prompted this was the song On Eagles' Wings  that was sung at Gwen's parents' funerals as well as her own. In my eulogy to Bertha, Gwen's mom, I talked about having seen eagles on the drive over to her funeral.  Afterwards, several others also mentioned having seen eagles.  Shortly after Gwen's funeral her brother, Ted, told me about having seen eagles on more than one occasion.  Did the mention of them heighten awareness to their appearance, or are they to be seen as messages from our loved ones?"  I cannot be the Judge of that; all I know is that I take comfort in a verse from  the song  On Eagles' Wings:

And He will raise you up

on Eagle's wings

bear you on the breath of dawn

make you to shine like the sun

and hold you in the palm of his hand. 

Like poetry and literature, music also has the ability to help someone like me who has lost his perfect partner to begin to rediscover and redefine who I am.  I take great comfort in these words from the song.   Am I not fortunate to have the memory of Gwen and me actually seeing an eagle that was "made to shine like the sun"?  Here, on this bright, sunny January afternoon I take great pleasure in thinking of Gwen being "borne on the breath of dawn."  And He will raise you up. . .