Over the weekend, I had an occasion to have an exhibitor table for the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan, and our table was positioned next to a man representing an organization that promotes and celebrates organ donation. As I got to know him, he shared a few powerful stories with me.
He is the recipient of a heart transplant, and he met his wife, who is also an organ recipient, through their shared community. He told me that his wife had a chance to meet the family of her donor, and while there is certainly grief in the loss of a father and husband, there is also a strong bond and relationship between this family and his wife, who received one of this man’s organs. And this really moved me:
She was able to walk the daughter of this donor down the aisle at her wedding.
What an incredibly powerful connection, and in the midst of deep loss, there was a living connection in relationship. The life of this organ recipient was present at a wedding to share love with a beloved daughter.
And this has me thinking about how life continues to find us sometimes, even if we’ve endured loss or great change. There is no silver lining in this, of course. But there is an accompanied goodness. Memories emerge and fill us. Relationships find us anew. Possibilities continue to unfold.
And this is always a surprise. It never negates the loss. Never. But it accompanies it. It walks us down the aisle, so to speak. And when these moments emerge, there is gratitude.
— Renee Roederer
Smuggling Grace 