Someone close to me lost someone close to her over the weekend. Totally unexpected while on a trip ten years in the making. In an instant a father, husband and best friend of 28 years, is gone and a wife is alone in the woods with her husband’s body, trying desperately to save him with CPR. Two mornings later, 5:00 a.m., my daughter calls to say she’s at the airport, checked in and ready to fly to NYC for a fabulous six days with a special aunt! And what does someone say to me? Didn’t you hear about the terrorist threat in New York? Sure I did. I don’t go there, don’t allow myself to think that way. Any one of us could be gone in an instant, like my friend’s loved one. Do we stop living, stop traveling, cower in our homes against something “bad” happening? No we don’t, we can’t. What do we do? We love with all our hearts, hold our loved ones close in our hearts, never hesitate to tell someone you love them and how precious they are to you.
Having survived a potentially terminal illness, an abusive marriage and two brain surgeries and having my beloved daughters on opposite coasts, you learn to walk in faith and trust and to tuck those conversations and memories deep into your heart, to treasure them. You don’t hang up the phone in anger and you always make a point of letting the other person know how much they mean to you, how special they are!
Because we’re afraid? No way. Because it’s important to speak the words. My daughter in NYC for the next week, my older daughter in Seattle all the time, my brother and his family in the rolling hills of Kentucky, my loved ones within 40 miles, friends literally around the globe – all are special, all are precious – you’re loved and treasured and I’ll be making a point to let you know next time we talk, if I haven’t already.
Say the words and hold the memories, voices, smiles, tucked away close to your heart. That would be the lesson to take from my friend’s loss. Don’t dwell; act and move forward with love and joy in your heart and spoken out of your mouth.
à bientôt …….