Letters to Heaven

These are the things you gave me, Dad,

And these are the things I’ll prize…

To find God in a field of corn

And hope in each sunrise,

To learn the greatest truths of all

Seeing nature through your eyes.



These are the things you gave me, Dad,

And these are the things I’ll keep:

A sense of soulfulness within

And a faith that’s broad and deep,

The pride that comes from a hard day’s work

And the peace of a good night’s sleep.



These are the things you taught me, Dad,

And these are things I’ll treasure:

That money isn’t riches

And that wisdom has no measure,

That everybody has to die

But love goes on forever.



If there’s praise to give

On ways to live,

Then, Dad, you’ve shown me this…

Endurance with grace

To the end of your race,

And this is a man I’ll miss.

Reprinted from Life Between Falls: A Travelogue Through Grief & the Unexpected by Julie Lange