Helen Bleich

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" One Tear to the Ocean" My beloved Mother Helen Bleich died Dec. 13th, 2002. 60 years earlier to the day, Dec. 13th, 1942, that my dad was missing in Action on the cold mountainous seas of the North Atlantic when torpedoed by a German U boat. One tear to the ocean was inspired by some of her last words. She said, "I am surrounded by a circle of love". I thought at first she was talking about her family but had reason to wonder perhaps she saw waiting angels that we could not see that were gathering to take her to heaven. Her face was illumined with love and Grace.

She was one of 13 children. Mother had a deep affection for Mary, the Mother of Jesus which she passed down to her children. Shortly after she died we knelt down around her bed to say the Rosary while her cold dead hands held the Rosary Beads that belonged to her Mother. Some time Mother’s Rosaries would break and have to be reassembled The Rosary that I used that night had 13 beads instead of 10 purely by chance. My Sons, Harry Eric, Christopher Orion His girlfriend Marina and I took turns leading four of the five decades that make up a Rosary The 5th decade was Led my sons girl friend Marina in Spanish while we answered in English.

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"Tick Tock," While on my night vigil by mother bedside I would play my guitar softly. though she was sleeping I felt she could hear my singing and playing. I stated plucking two of the strings to D and Am like the tick tock of a clock Back and forth in a gentle rhythm I could sense that Mom’s time with us was gradually coming to a close and she would be crossing over to the Eternal side of Heaven. I wrote this song to prepare Mom for her journey. That she could face the end of life here on earth with out fear of that "Dreadful Hour" which was mentioned in one of her night time payers. Little flower show you power, Save me from that dreadful hour. ( a prayer to Saint Theresa, I would tell her that death was not a dreadful hour, that she was going to get on an express train straight to heaven with no stops in purgatory.) She would smile knowingly. The dread was gone. In its place was a sense that she would soon be seeing her Husband, Harry, her Father, John and Mother, Martha, Her 12 brothers and sisters, and old shipmates and friends that made the passage to eternity before her.

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"I Pray to God My Soul to Keep" Mother had a bevy of Night prayer, This song is started by one of her favorites. When I lie me down to sleep, I pray to God my soul to keep, If I should die before I wake, I pray to God My soul to take. It touches upon other aspects and metaphors of the passage. Her sense of peace and continence on her face that visually spoke of her sense of readiness for the journey into the light. She was prepared and ready to let go of her earthly bonds, filled with a sense of peace that comes from being loved. A circle of loving relatives and friends gathered with angels that only she could see. She was at peace and knew where she was going,that God would take her soul To his loving arms in Paradise May we all be as fortunate when it is our time to go, to once again have the faith of a child.. I remember once again what my 12 year old said when He was 4 years old. He told me. I want to die dad! Concerned I asked why? He said I can’t wait to go to heaven.

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