Lady St John, widow of the late former Prime Minister Sir Harold St John, has words of encouragement for Mara Thompson.Death is nothingI just went to the other sideI am I, You are youAs we were to one another, we will always beTalk to me as you always didDon’t change the tone of your voiceDon’t be somber or sadKeep laughing at what we used to laugh at togetherPray, smile, think of me and pray with meAt home, let my name sound as it always didWith no fuss, no shadowLife still means what it has always meant.It is what it has always been.The thread isn’t cut.Why should I be out of your mindJust because I am out of sight?I’m not far, just on the other side of the pathAll is fine, you seeSoon, you will know how to reach my heartSoon, you will feel my love againWipe your tears and don’t cry if you love me.– Saint Augustine Lady St John understands first-hand the pain, grief and sadness that Mara Thompson has had to endure. This poem was a balm that brought her comfort during the death of her husband. It was the poem she read at the reception following his funeral.
Like Mara, Lady St John has walked that road less travelled, caring for an ailing spouse with terminal cancer. She knows the void that comes trying to cope with the loss brought on by their death and the difficult job of going forward . . . alone.Six years ago Lady St John’s life, like Mara’s, changed drastically, altering the lifestyle that she and her husband, the late Sir Harold “Bree” St John had grown accustomed to.
The full story was published in this week’s EASY Magazine
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