From Love to Death to Heaven
We aren't supposed to be thinking of death so much. As a child I can only remember my father crying one time due to a loss of a friend. I remember how bad that tore me up to see him so sad.
And the wheels of life turn. Children lose grandparents and then parents. We are all working on being replaced. My kids are my replacement, right? Simple procedure. Down the line - we all get our 80 + years - and then its on to the next to make their time.
But it doesn't work like that. Death has no age. A young girl, a brother, a child, a newborn baby. And we push it to the back of our minds and try to avoid the subject as best we can.
I can't shield my children from it these days. They've lost their uncle, their grandfather, and now the brother of my closest friend. All too young, all against the odds that are supposed to be there.
Another couple of dear friends had the "anniversary" yesterday of the loss of their beautiful child. Around every corner.
As a Dad I'm supposed to make sense of it for my kids. I feel as if I need to shield them a bit and tell them that this isn't how its supposed to go. There should be long stretches before we deal with death as a dinner topic.
But there is no shielding. Life is fairly simple when it is stripped down to the pain of loss.
We go from love to death to heaven.
If the price for love is sorrow, it must be remembered that the reward for love is joy.
In all that is mentioned above, the love outweighs the sorrow.
It doesn't seem that way at the start of the grieving process, but it surely is the way it was intended to be and love will take you there.
Sounds like a Hallmark card, but it's impossible not to consider these days.
And the reward for love is supposed to be heaven.
There has to be a better place.
Has to be.
Because when the sorrows multiply here on Earth, we look hard to fill the voids with the love that brings joy.
I've come full circle on this. Heaven has to be waiting for those that suffer right here.
We start with life, we build the love, we endure the sorrow, and we stand tall, hoping that heaven is the reward.
It sure as hell better be.
To the Renaldo family:
Sorry doesn't cut it, but there are hundreds of people willing to show you what love can do.
Hopefully it brings you some semblance of joy real soon.
And the wheels of life turn. Children lose grandparents and then parents. We are all working on being replaced. My kids are my replacement, right? Simple procedure. Down the line - we all get our 80 + years - and then its on to the next to make their time.
But it doesn't work like that. Death has no age. A young girl, a brother, a child, a newborn baby. And we push it to the back of our minds and try to avoid the subject as best we can.
I can't shield my children from it these days. They've lost their uncle, their grandfather, and now the brother of my closest friend. All too young, all against the odds that are supposed to be there.
Another couple of dear friends had the "anniversary" yesterday of the loss of their beautiful child. Around every corner.
As a Dad I'm supposed to make sense of it for my kids. I feel as if I need to shield them a bit and tell them that this isn't how its supposed to go. There should be long stretches before we deal with death as a dinner topic.
But there is no shielding. Life is fairly simple when it is stripped down to the pain of loss.
We go from love to death to heaven.
If the price for love is sorrow, it must be remembered that the reward for love is joy.
In all that is mentioned above, the love outweighs the sorrow.
It doesn't seem that way at the start of the grieving process, but it surely is the way it was intended to be and love will take you there.
Sounds like a Hallmark card, but it's impossible not to consider these days.
And the reward for love is supposed to be heaven.
There has to be a better place.
Has to be.
Because when the sorrows multiply here on Earth, we look hard to fill the voids with the love that brings joy.
I've come full circle on this. Heaven has to be waiting for those that suffer right here.
We start with life, we build the love, we endure the sorrow, and we stand tall, hoping that heaven is the reward.
It sure as hell better be.
To the Renaldo family:
Sorry doesn't cut it, but there are hundreds of people willing to show you what love can do.
Hopefully it brings you some semblance of joy real soon.
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