have been too much for me. With my head I can understand that for some it is a blessed release, but my heart aches for those who are left behind who are trying to cope with loss - not only of a dearly loved person, but a whole lot of other things as well. One of these people has to start life all over again, as it were, with two small children.
My faith teaches me - and I do find solace in this - The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
Talking about loss and grieving with one of my young nephews, I was quite taken aback by what he said. He asked me to look at death this way: Death is not the end. It's just a way to wake us up to a new beginning.... This is God telling us to forgive those we haven't forgiven and love those whom we don't.
These words gave me a jolt and went round and round in my head. I finally accepted them.
We need to grieve. But then, while we can never let go fully of the person who has left us, we can prevent ourselves from getting paralyzed by our grief....as it often happens. We can use his/her passing to start anew. Look at life with a new perspective, sort out issues that have long been festering in our mind....there may be something rankling in us, and we could force ourselves to face up to it. Accepting the reminder that we too will one day go away, we could catch up with people we have long been neglecting, read that book which we have wanted to, but kept postponing, do things we have long wanted to do, change aspects in us which are not working out, do a complete checklist of our beliefs and values, remove the bitter and harsh, forgive, instead of holding on to a grudge that is anyway years and years old, give ourselves a bold makeover, face up to the hard/harsh deals that Life has given us and find a way around them or through them, write someone a letter of love and appreciation - something which should have been done long back, re-connect with people who've got left behind....... These are all new beginnings... They won't cause us to forget our loved ones who have passed on, instead, we will be actually paying them a tribute because we are channeling our grief to make our lives better... they are forcing us to look at our lives anew...