Merry Christmas From Heaven The Reverend Dr. Aloha Smith    Merry Christmas From Heaven John William Mooney, Jr. wrote this little poem a few Christmases ago about his mother. He wrote it as a comfort for himself and his father as they remembered his parent’s wedding anniversary and the day of her death—both on Christmas Eve. Now it was a day forever marked on their calendars as one of great rejoicing and deep sadness. In the poem, the younger Mooney hears his mother’s voice saying, “To my family and friends, please be thankful today. I’m still close beside you in a new special, way.” This reassurance of his loved one’s safety and happiness and even nearness in a separate but good place helped both Mooneys deal with his mother’s death and their mutual loss. It told the son that he did not have to be anxious about her. It centered him to look with fondness on their past together. It helped him to treasure the moments and relationships in his life now, and not to squander them in regret and hurt. It is common for people who are going through tough times and loss to think that they are all alone and everybody else around them is doing fine. But this notion is wrong. God does not abandon us. Pain and loss shared in sympathy really do bring out strength and hope. And that, we can all, with help, learn to notice every moment as a gift, every holiday or anniversary has the potential for present treasure. Look for it! Your loved one is safe and you are never without help.