"You are loved and you are not alone".

2/13/2016

You are a soul with a body, not a body with a soul.

Human, yet spirit.

As I laid in bed last night, I couldn't help but think of my loved ones and friends who have lost someone recently. One lived long, and passed away as expected. The other, only half the time, and completely unexpectedly. Neither situation takes away the pain of the other. Both feel a loss, both grieve. Though I knew neither of these people very well, I feel myself tearing up as I think of the people they've left behind. My tears are shed for them.

In my soul, I know that this is not supposed to be an unhappy time - but my human mind will not allow me to fully comprehend this. I know their spirit lives on. I know the deceased no longer feels their earthly troubles. It is us, those left behind that feel the pain.

I believe our souls understand this, but in our humanness we selfishly set that aside, and wish they were with us still. We want more. Our souls know we'll meet again, but it will never be the same again.

It's a time like this when we must realize the importance of living in the "now". Using our time wisely, making memories with those we love, and living each day fully. We never know how much time we have left in this life.

Memories may bring tears, but they also bring smiles. There is no magic cure from grief. It can come and go as if it has a life all it's own. Years can pass, yet still, out of the blue, the sorrow will come. I've learned to use these pangs - I feel they are sent as a reminder. Where I used to let them weigh me down, now like to think of them as a hug, or at least recognition that my loved one still exists.

I use those moments to catch my breath. To focus on what really matters. To thank God for the life I have been given and the memories I have. I use those moments to remember.

Time may ease the pain of loss a little, but it will never fully go away. When you are close to someone who passes  a piece of you goes with them. I want to recognize this. Instead of saying "I'm sorry for your loss", I want to acknowledge your pain and say; "You are loved and you are not alone".