Erickson Funeral Home

06/24/2026

06/22/2026

"It’s okay to feel everything you’re feeling right now. There’s no rulebook on how to handle what life throws at you, and no one has the right to tell you how you should be feeling. You’re doing the best you can, even if it doesn’t feel like it. Give yourself the space to heal in your own time, in your own way.” (Nur Bella)

There is a profound freedom in giving yourself permission to simply be as you are, without the weight of outside expectations.
Life often arrives in waves that no one is truly prepared to navigate, and trying to force your heart to follow a set path only adds to the burden. Healing is not a race or a performance for others to judge; it is a quiet, personal journey that moves at its own pace.

By honoring your emotions and acknowledging the effort it takes just to keep moving forward, you create a sanctuary where true restoration can begin.

Trust that your best is enough, even in the moments when you feel most fragile, for it is in that gentle space of self-acceptance that strength begins to grow again. 🕊️

Credit: Tips that can change your life

06/20/2026

Faith Over Fear — He Is With You
Fear came knocking at my door
in the middle of the night,

dressed in all the what-ifs,
wearing shadows dressed as light.

It whispered in the quiet,
it shouted in the crowd,
it sat beside me in the waiting room
and wrapped around me like a shroud.

I know that voice.
I’ve heard it all my life.
It speaks the language of uncertainty,
of sorrow, loss, and strife.

But then…

soft and sure and ancient,
another voice broke through,
the voice that made the mountains,
the voice that made me too.

“Do not fear, for I am with you.”
Not — do not fear, for the road is smooth.
Not — do not fear, for the storm won’t come.
Not — do not fear, for the pain won’t touch you
or the battle will be easily won.

But simply

I am with you.
And somehow,
that is everything.

When the diagnosis came
and the room went cold and still,
when the tears fell faster than the prayers,
when fear said this will kill

He was there.

When the marriage shook at its foundation,
when the children walked away,
when the money ran out on a Tuesday
and there was nothing left to say

He was there.

Not watching from a distance,
not seated high and far,
but closer than the fear itself,
closer than the scar.

“I will strengthen you,” He promised,
“and I will help you stand.
I will uphold you, keep you,
with My righteous, mighty hand.”

Oh, what a hand that is

the hand that formed the galaxies,
that set the oceans in their place,
that counts the hairs upon my head
and knows my name and knows my face.

That hand is holding me.
So faith is not the absence
of the trembling and the tears.

Faith is choosing Truth out loud
in the very face of fears.
Faith is saying I don’t see it,
but I trust the One who does.
Faith is standing on the promises
not because the fear is gone —
but because He is greater
than whatever fears live on.

Fear says you are on your own.
Fear says no one sees your pain.
Fear says what you’re walking through
will swallow you whole again.

But faith

faith lifts its eyes and answers,
faith stands up and speaks the Word,
faith reminds the darkness fiercely
of every promise ever heard.

Do not fear.

He said it to the weary.
He said it to the lost.
He said it to the ones who wondered
if following Him was worth the cost.

He says it still today
to you, in your particular pain,
in your specific, private battle,
in the middle of your storm and rain.

Do not fear.

I am with you.
I will strengthen.
I will hold.

This is the God who never leaves you,
whose faithfulness will never grow cold.

So let fear knock.

Let it rattle at the door.

You know the One who stands beside you
and He is

greater,

greater,

greater

than whatever you are facing.
Walk in faith.
He’s already there. 🕊️

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
— Isaiah 41:10 💛

06/17/2026

"Once you realize that
anything can happen; sickness, death, lose your job. Literally, anything in the blink of an eye, you become very humble. Tables turn, and that's how crazy life can get.
Always pray, stay humble, and be thankful." (Mindsets)

Life's fragility is a stark teacher. The suddenness of change—sickness, loss, unforeseen upheaval—strips away illusions of control, leaving us humbled before the unpredictable currents of existence. The world's unpredictable nature, its capacity for both immense joy and crushing sorrow, reveals itself in the blink of an eye, reminding us of our own vulnerability.

This humbling awareness fosters a profound sense of gratitude for each precious moment, a renewed appreciation for the simple gifts of health, love, and stability.

In the face of such uncertainty, prayer becomes a lifeline, a connection to something larger than ourselves, a source of strength and solace.
Humility, born from this understanding of our limitations, becomes not a burden, but a pathway to deeper empathy and compassion. Thankfulness, the natural response to such a transformative experience, becomes the heart's song, a melody of gratitude played on the ever-changing stage of life.

Credit: Tips That Change Your Life ❤☀

06/16/2026

Every day I watched from my window
at the boy sitting on the swing.
He just sat staring at the ground.
He never moved or done a thing.

I wasn't sure what I should do,
but he wouldn't leave my mind
and whenever he was around
there was no one else to find.

I thought about approaching him
but I was worried he would get scared.
But he looked so lost and alone
as if nobody had ever cared.

I felt he needed a friend.
I could sense that he was sad.
I felt a need to help
this lost and lonely lad.

I carefully approached him.
He looked up with the saddest eyes.
He asked if I could push him
to reach the highest skies.

He told me that no one ever came,
or had shown him what to do.
I saw his shoulders slump, and
I said "should I push you?"

He smiled a little bit,
and I saw a twinkle in his eye.
He said "my Mum had always said
I should reach for the sky."

As I gently pushed him
and to and fro he went.
I showed him how to move his legs,
and told him not to keep them bent.

I asked about his parents.
"Did they know that you were here?"
But he kept on swinging higher.
Moving without fear.

I now stood in the background,
with the biggest smile on my face.
This boy had brought me happiness
that I'd lost without a trace.

Eventually he slowed down,
and I felt something very strange.
The boy that I had pushed
had now began to change.

In front of me stood a man.
and he began to cry.
He said "Mum, I knew I'd find you
If I reached up to the sky."

Joanne Boyle
art by Steffi Krenzek

06/15/2026

Seasons of Sorrow

Fresh grief blooms like springtime's flower,
Tender and raw in its newfound power.
A heart heavy with dewy tears,
As life without you suddenly appears.

In the heat of summer's unyielding glare,
Memories surface in the thickened air.
Laughter and warmth in the light of your smile,
A season of longing that stretches each mile.

Leaves fall, and so do pieces of pain,
Grief sheds its layers, but love will remain.
A gentle surrender to the changing view,
Finding peace in the hues of an autumnal hue.

The cold brings stillness, a quiet space,
To honor your absence, to slow the pace.
In the silence, wisdom comes near,
Whispers of you, forever dear.

Through each season, grief takes its form,
A cycle of healing, through calm and storm.
In every moment, through loss and through life,
The love that was shared cuts through strife.
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Credit: Our Memories