It seems that lately, death is all around me. Left and right, the people around me are hurting. My best friend and her family are coping with the loss of our little brother, Everette. I'm watching my girl go through the loss of an ex-lover and long time friend. I've witnessed another homegirl bury her grandmother who was basically her mother. My former students are mourning the loss of yet another one of our Warriors; while another one of my "babies" is burying her father.
And that's the unfortunate reality of life. It ends. Whether we want it to or not. And the funny thing is, none of us know exactly when. The doctors could give you 6 months, yet you're still around 6 years later. Yet, normal, daily tasks end in tragedy every day: driving, swimming, walking...simply living.
Death is a tricky thing. Loss is a painful thing. Grief is a new thing...for all of us. Each encounter with death brings us a different experience with grief. As I reflect on the loss of my mother, it was a shock...a gut punch. Out of nowhere, I woke up one day, and she was gone. No warning, no preparation, just gone. That was a rough time. However, the death of my granny was a tad bit easier. The pain was still there. The effect of her absence still lingers. But, I had time. Time to tell her all the things I wish I had the time to tell my mom. Time for her to impart as much as she could for me as a wife, a future mom, a woman.
The long and short of it is simple. We don't have forever here on earth. No one will ALWAYS be there, no matter how much we believe that to be the case. For this reason, we have to be intentional in the way we treat people. We have to be thoughtful in the way we speak to people. We have to be mindful that tomorrow hasn't been promised to ANY of us. None of us know the day nor the hour that may be our last, or that of the ones we love. Make amends. Forgive. Move on. Give a hug. Go to a movie. Play a game. Smile. Say, "I love you."
God is a God of hope and of healing. God is a God of love. Therefore, our interaction, one with another, should be the same. Be careful how you speak to and treat the ones you love because the truth is, all of us alive today are here on borrowed time. Be Blessed. XOXO
