It is never easy to deal with the death of a loved one. Our lives revolve around, and we are the reflection of, the relationships we have forged with others and the ongoing dialog that ensues. That dialog can last minutes, years, or decades. Frequently there is mutual closure of the conversation and we move on with satisfaction. But then, there are those conversations that end abruptly leaving you longing for another sentence to add, even if it's just to say "goodbye, I love you, it's been fun."
This week my honorable, industrious father had successful surgery to place a stint in a neck vein. That evening he laid back to take a nap and suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and went into a coma from which he never awoke.
The next day, after receiving the report that Dad would not survive more than a few days, my sweet, frail, courageous mom suffered a broken heart and died two days later surrounded by family who desperately wanted the conversation to continue just a little while longer. Dad followed her into Paradise 3 days later as I held his hand and spoke but he could not hear. They had been married 68 years.
Take from this what you will. We are all just one breath from eternity. It would sound trite to recommend you treat every goodbye as the final one. But I will tell you this, a conversation abruptly ended when your cell phone drops is annoying but will soon be continued. A dialog interrupted by death leaves you empty. My only comfort, and it is considerable, is that Christ conquered death and the relationship will continue in the future.
I said "goodbye, I love you, it's been fun", to both of my parents yesterday. There was no reply this time.
TcB
