Selected Works from Steve Warila’s Memorial

“Life After Death” Laura Gilpin – written in memory of a friend

These things I know:how the living go on livingand how the dead go on living with themso that in a foresteven a dead tree casts a shadowand the leaves fall one by oneand the branches break in the windand the bark peels off slowlyand the trunk cracksand the rain seeps in through the cracksand the trunk falls to the groundand the moss covers itand in the spring the rabbits find itand build their nestinside the dead treeso that nothing is wasted in nature or in love.

“Teaching Your Children"Adopted from Rabbi Earl Grollman and David Wolpe

A little boy once found a bird's nest that contained speckled eggs near his home.  Fascinated, he watched it for a long time until he had to take a trip to the city.  Upon his return, he rushed to the nest to see the eggs.  He was shocked to find that the beautiful eggs were broken.  All he saw were empty shells.  He wept before his mother and cried, "These beautiful eggs are spoiled and broken."  "No, my son", she answered, "They're not spoiled.  All you see is the empty shell.  The birds have escaped from the eggs, and soon they will be flying around the sky." Nature has a cycle.  Like this egg, life changes and renews itself.  The dead leaves of one season provide for the tree to grow the new leaves of another.  All of death recycles in a renewed path to life.  Those who die live on in many ways.  They live on in our hearts as we remember them.  One smart man (Voltaire) once said, "God gives us memories so that we may have roses in December."  Even when the leaves have fallen, we can remember their beauty." To remember Steve as a dad, as a coach, as a friend, as a caring man is to recover the beauty of his life and plant it into our own lives.

"In the Rising of the Sun "Rabbi Roland Gittelsohn

In the rising of the sun and in its going down, we remember them.In the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter, we remember them.In the opening of buds and in the rebirth of spring, we remember them.In the blueness of the sky and in the warmth of summer, we remember them.In the rustling of leaves and in the beauty of autumn, we remember them.In the beginning of the year and when it ends, we remember them.When we are weary and in need of strength, we remember them.When we are lost and sick at heart, we remember them.So long as we live, they too shall live, for they are now a part of us, as we remember them.

The Diamond in the March Snow(Demanten på marssnön)

Sibelius

There on the driven snowglitters a diamond so bright.Never was there a tear, a pearl,that sparkled more brilliantly.

Out of a secret longingshe shines with heavenly radiance:she gazes at the sun,where it rises in its beauty.

At the foot of its beamsshe stands, adoring,and kisses it in deep loveand melts into a teardrop.

Oh beautiful fate, to lovethe highest that life has to offer,to sparkle in its sunshineand die when it smiles most beautifully.