On January 26, 2021 I received a lovely note from a saint of a young lady.
Her name is Kendel and she is in the picture with Mia and Emily.
Her note was simple and powerful:
“I think about Emily every day and take her with me everywhere I go.”
I texted her back and that led to Kendel coming to see me that very same day – she drove from Kelowna.
Have you ever noticed Saints that are quoted in history do not typically use words like trouble, challenges, or closure, they only talk about the “wonderful experiences of life”, whether they are good or bad?
They have a deep understanding of the way things are. They teach us that pleasure and pain go together as one. They know that we live in a dualistic world. Where there is light, there is darkness. This is undeniable by enlightened beings.
Kendel, like many others, was deeply touched by Emily’s unconditional love for her. Emily treated her with kindness and compassion – and that created true love between Kendel and Emily that continues today and forever. Who wants “closure” from that?
I have asked Kendel to come on stage with me and Paul Young on June 8 ,2021 to tell her amazing story of her love for Emily. Only she can do that.
Here is the link to the event for June 8, 2021 at The Powerhouse Theatre.
As I went through my previous texts, I found the note Kendel sent me exactly one year ago, one year after Emily passed away.
“My heart and all my love is with your family today! Emily is in my prayers every night and not a day goes by that I don’t feel the ache in my chest. Today is another hard day along with the hard times that are there all the time. I feel immense sadness and love for everything and everyone feeling the loss. I live for em and do everything through her, for her. She impacted so many lives and even though I’m heart broken, I feel so proud to have gotten to know, love, learn from and grow with her! Emily has taught us to love people unconditionally for as long as you can and cherish every moment with them. That love she has taught us will never perish and is in the kindness, passions, actions and thoughts of everyone. – I know people may say hold on to the memories you had with her but every time I make a new memory Emily is along side of each one. I have my heart and prayers with you and your family.”
Kendel also told me about a tattoo that she had done called “In the Painting”.
All this happened in our visit and it was amazing. It inspired the following short poem. “In the Painting”
All my love and pain is there
The immense sadness and love mix the colors
There are images so clear
That come from the material world
Many are gone and many remain
Some are real and some are illusion
The boats I have ridden
Are nothing compared to the gardens I have seen
I have done it all with lovers and friends
Some are here and some are not
The unconditional love to which I have felt
Teaches me to cherish every moment with all
In kindness and compassion new and old memories combine
The Emily Dahl Foundation and Kendel Rogers , January 26, 2021
