A Tapestry of Love by the Rev. Bob Hennigan

In this reflection, the Rev. Bob Hennigan, rector of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Midland, shares the story of a simple pink shell that has become a tangible connection between generations of his family—and a reminder of the many lives woven together in the tapestry of our own. 

My father died when I was 25 in Florida. His wish was that he be cremated, no service, and no memorial. The funeral home told us that his remains would be relegated to the Gulf of Mexico.

A few days later, I was walking on the beach and picked up a beautiful pink shell. I guess as a reminder of my father. I’ve kept it ever since.

My youngest daughter was born after I was ordained. When I baptized her, I used the pink shell. I have since baptized three grandchildren using that shell. It isn’t magic or especially holy. It’s just a reminder of my father, whom my wife, children, and grandchildren never met. It represents a single strand in the tapestry of their lives.

On August 23, I poured water from that shell onto the head of my granddaughter Lilian Grace, the newest strand in the tapestry of my life.

I wrote a poem many years ago that spoke to me on this joyful, tearful day:

If I were to make a tapestry of my life,
The faces of all who touched my heart, my soul,
Overlaying my forgotten encounters,
Would be knit, woven, sewn,
In tones of the colors of love,
The colors of God.

When I make the tapestry of my life,
I will hang it where you can see.
For, among the famed saints and martyrs,
Are my beloved, God’s beloved,
And you will see yourself, a saint of God.