Agnes on Remembering Loved Ones

In October 2008, Agnes shared her thoughts on the Polish tradition of remembrance on All Saints Day and All Souls Day. 15 years later, almost to the day, we honoured this tradition for this first time remembering our dearly departed Agnes. The pain is acute, but looking back at Agnes' own words on the subject fills our hearts and gives us strength.

October 31, 2008 It's HALLOWEEN there in the U.S. today =))) Am I right??? I think it's a lot of fun!! Hah... Actually here in Poland we DO NOT celebrate it.... We DO celebrate at this time....but to be precise it'll be TOMORROW. Let me explain you HOW it looks like here...=)) On 1st November we have a day which (loosely translated into English ;)) we call the DAY of ALL HOLY PEOPLE or the DAY of ALL DEAD PEOPLE..... It is a rather nostalgic,reflexive day....there's no fun,no laugh,no jokes there.... on this day we visit the cementries to stay a while with all the people from our family,our friends,who died... We care for their graves, bring flowers and ..... we light candles,little torches...little lights on the graves of our dead beloved (or even some unknown!!) people........ Then later when it gets dark all the lights burning ...lightening...they look like... a BIG SEA....

And then on 2nd November we celebrate a Memorial Day.....it's the time in which we just think bout our beloved dead ones...the ones that've gone....always too fast......always in the wrong time... ...we are with them with our thoughts,we speak to them...tryin' to deal with the fact that they've gone... ...and we pray.... Personally I think it is a nice tradition ....makes people rember and belive that there's not JUST the LIFE here on Earth....not just this one....otherwise it'd be no sense in living here... I like visiting the cemetaries...looking at the lightened candle "sea".....it's a mystic, nostalgic, thoughtfull moment...a while in which everyone stays calm and quiet... Sinking in this atmosphere for a while.... letting a single tear fall .....leaving with a hug with all the family.....

Thank you Agnes for sharing this with us, and for lighting a path for us in this extremely difficult time. We miss you, and forever cherish your memory 💜