Death has been a topic of conversation in my home and among my friends for quite a while now for obvious reasons. Not sure it will change much in the next years’ to come. This weekend, I start year three! This is the third “first” holiday, Labor Day. And still, the question remains… what is life and what is death? What is life after death? I will tell you what I believe it to be, and it is not reincarnation. It is having those left behind after you have gone keeping you alive in spirit!! The one request I have made in the passing of all my family members and loved ones I have lost…remember them in stories!! Especially, stories that will put a smile on your face or laughter in your heart!! It keeps them living for those of us who have lost them and allows those who never met them to feel as if they have!
Life is a precious gift I do not want to abuse. It was something I fought for early in my life before I even knew there was an option. Born prematurely with lungs not quite developed (I know you are all in shock!!!) but I fought and fought hard according to the stories my mom told me. They wisked me away without her even getting to see me after birth and told her the next 24 hours would tell the story. As it turns out, after depriving me of oxygen in the womb for seven months, my twin had to forego the incubator for me. He tells the story now, a half century plus later, how he saved my life! Lol! I love my brother for that!! But what if that episode set some sort of crusade in motion. Do I love life more because of that without even realizing it? Maybe. Guess I will find out when I experience what comes after this life.
With the loss of my parents and siblings, I never really questioned death, other than for my brothers, why did it come so soon? Then again, what is ‘soon?’ Is that a term I made up in my head? I thought 40, 42, and 55 were young until my son passed at 24!! Perspective on the age shifted, yet again! I already know our “dash” is the short-term we get. No one has told me the acceptable age in which the end of life is no longer grieved and we should be “ok” that a person passed away. Is it 70… 80… 100? All those at that age probably have family who will grieve their loss, too. But, eventually, at whatever age, we will at some point no longer be living and breathing this fine air we have become accustomed to.
Here on Earth, we love to live and explore and to just be. All of us will, at some point, leave this Earth! But are we just making memories for others to share when we are gone? Are we living to make life better for those that follow? Maybe not in our current state of affairs in this country, but maybe, somehow, these are all true. Our life has meaning when we live it, but it continues after we are long gone if those who knew us continue to share those stories and memories. Personally, I love to talk about those loved ones and am sad when others are afraid to bring them up in conversation out of fear of how I may respond! Don’t ever be afraid to share memories of anyone! Proof of a life well lived if those memories hold value to someone!! ❤️
Until my last breath, I am going to pray my parents, siblings, and my son, along with so many loved ones, are living the dream in eternity. May we be the best that we can be to guarantee ourselves a spot there too. For now, I will die to live and live to die! Our only guarantee. Cody has a life after death and continues to live on through us, as do the others in my family gone too soon!! I can guess what lies beyond those pearly gates and that there will be life after death in Heaven, too! Until I find out for sure, life after death is up to us still here!! Lost loved ones will continue to live on as long as we keep sharing their lives!! Keep it going strong because ALL lives lost leave someone grieving and missing them! Give all of them life after death! As always, I cry because they are gone, but I smile because they were here!!!
#lifeafterdeath #livingthedream #dietoliveandlivetodie #thedashinthemiddle
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