Death…

You can shed tears that they are gone, 

or you can smile because they lived.

You can close your eyes and pray that they’ll come back,

or you can open your eyes and see all they’ve left.

Your heart can be empty because you can’t see them,

or you can be full of the love you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday, 

or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.

You can remember them only that they are gone,

or you can cherish their memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind, 

be empty and turn your back.

Or you can do what they’d want:

smile, open your eyes, love and go on.”

    -David Harkins 

In the end, you can never be prepared to watch a loved one leave you. It takes a while to really set in…but there are two ways that we can go from here. When death comes at you in an unexpected way, it can be devastating. There’s so much I wish I could have said and done over the past few years…I guess I waited to long. 

Still, I can’t look back at my memories of our time together and regret anything. My grandfather loved me. He always looked out for me, and he was always there for me when I needed someone to talk. He knew when to speak, and when to listen. He knew when I needed a hug, and when I needed my space. While he was on the other side of the world, he was still always so close. 

It’s been a little over 7 years since I last saw him, and in that time I feel as though we had grown apart. Sometimes we let the insignificant things in life get in the way of that which truly matters. I know I am guilty of that. We tell ourselves that we live each day to the fullest and that we go to bed with no regrets, but think about it for just a minute…do we really take advantage of all the time we have? 

“Seventy-five years. That’s how much time you get if you’re lucky. Seventy-five years. Seventy-five Winters. Seventy-five Springtimes. Seventy-five Summers. And Seventy-five Autumns. When you look at it like that, it’s not a lot of time, is it? Don’t waste them. Get your head out of the rat race and forget about the superficial things that pre-occupy your existence and get back to what’s important now. Right Now. This very second. And I’m not saying, drop everything and let the world come to a grinding halt. I’m saying that you could become a seeker. You could be loving more. You could be taking some chances. You could be living more. You could be spending more time with your family. You could be getting in touch with the part of you that lives instead of fears; the part of you that loves instead of hates; the part of you that recognizes the humanity in all of us. And I tell you, That’s where you’re fortunate.”

    -G 

At the end of the day, it’s not about being sad that they’re gone, but rather it’s about celebrating the life that they lived. It’s rejoicing that they were there, and that they were a part of your life. Their impact will last forever. You start to think about why they loved you and cared about you so much. Only then do you realize how much you meant to them. Cherish their memories, live, love, and carry on. 

~ by amitkarr on July 26, 2008.