How do we find the will to go on when we have lost so many? We must realize that everything comes to an end at some point. We start to date and that ends in marriage, we start raising a family and that ends when the children become adults and on their own, we start working and then we retire, everything has an ending point in life.
If we are living our lives to the fullest, we can pass through the events of loss a lot easier than if we are simply waiting for the time to pass.
In this example is the truth of dealing with loss. We can stop our own lives and grieve continually until we finally take our last breathe, or we can move on and create a life that the person we lost would be proud of.
Grief has it's place, but living is everything. We should grieve for our losses. Remembering those we have lost is a blessing. I remember my parents, I remember some of the things we did when we were all together. I get a blessing from these memories, but I won't stop my life because my parents are gone.
Yes, we are all going to die, but you don't do yourself or God justice if you fail to live your life to the fullest. Just because we have lost parents, friends, family, (even a child or spouse) to death that's not a reason to die before we have finished living. I realize that my family probably are not looking down on me from some place in heaven, the Bible tells me that is not truth. However, I do imagine if they would be proud of the way I have lived my life after they have gone on. Imagining that they will some day know what I have done with the life I was given all the way till death, gives me peace and hope.
If you are still breathing, you can still make a difference in someone's life. As long as you are breathing and your heart is pumping, you can make a differnece in someone's life. Some where there is someone who needs you or need what you have to offer. For example, this blog. I pray that some where there is someone who is getting something they need from the words I write. If I were to say, I'm in my sixties, my grandmother died at 56 and my grandfather died at 57, I am on borrowed time so what's the use...I would miss out on sharing my writing with those who need it. I would miss out on the feedback from those who read my blog and possbily something that I need to learn.
If you are a parent or a grandparent, think about what your child or grandchild would miss if you weren't there. Even if you are alone and have no children or family, there are people who need what you have to offer. They need your encouragement, your company, your smile, lots of things you have that you may take for granted.
Love and remember the ones you've lost, but don't let those losses rob you of your life. Get involved with work, with volunteering, with your church, with your friends if you have some, with your creative side.
Have you lost a loved one recently? Are you struggling with questions and grief? Are you doing all you can to continue with your own life, thereby, honoring the life of the one you lost? Please share your experiences to help others.
XOXO