Contemplating Life--A Poem

I have mentioned this, but I decided to try doing a life history for my grandmother. Well, knowing that it isn't that easy, I decided to start with a blog, on which I scan and type up documents so that they're available to the family. Not much of my dad's family has gotten involved, but on my part, I am coming to know my Grandma Beth better, and she is a wonderful role model for me.

Today I was going through things and I found a letter written to her parents by a relative, and included was a poem that I thought sort of fit with my previous post and the post coming up. So here it is:

 Time Teaches Many Lessons.

As Time in its flight rolls onward

And leaves the Past behind

There is much that I counted sorrow

But proves that God is kind.

There is many a flower I longed for

Had a hidden thorn of pain.

And many a rugged by-path

Led me to fields of ripened grain.

The clouds but cover the sunshine

They cannot banish the sun

For the sun shines out the brighter

When the weary rains are done.

We must stand in the darkest sorrow

To see the purest light,

And oft from wrong's own darkness

Comes the very strength of right.

We must live thru the weary winter

If we could but value the Spring

And the woods must be cold and silent

Before the robins sing.

The flowers must be buried in darkness

Before they can blossom and bloom,

For the sweetest and warmest sunshine

Comes after the storm and the gloom.

The heart in its hardest trials

Gains the purest joy of all,

And from lips that have tasted sadness

The sweetest songs may fall.

For peace comes after the suffering

And love is the reward of pain,

So after earth comes Heaven

And out of our loss, our gain.

(author unknown)

Don't you just love old fashioned handwriting? >