As a species we are blessed and cursed with the intellectual capacity to experience a wide range of emotions. We rejoice in the wondrous feelings inspired by love, hope and joy and we endure the anguish wrought in the face of loss, fear, and despair. We are blessed to feel all of these emotions: to feel loss means that we have been fortunate enough to have loved and to have been loved; we experience fear when we have been brave enough to hope, to dream, to try; and, we know despair only because we have first known joy and happiness to some degree. Each paradoxical emotion sharpens the other and makes us appreciate the good stuff and helps us to endure the bad stuff.
A week ago today we said goodbye to a much loved and cherished member of our family. My husband’s aunt passed away after a third battle with cancer, one she chose to face on her own terms; she was truly brave. She had a light about her that embraced you even before she pulled you close for a hug; she was truly beautiful. She cared deeply about others and even from her deathbed her concern was for those who visited, not for herself; she was truly kind and gracious. At the funeral, one of her brothers paid tribute to her and his eloquent words have haunted me since. He started by saying, “she was beauty” and that so succinctly, so sweetly captured her essence. He said that she once told him not to wish for happiness but to wish for peace, her reasoning being if you have peace then happiness will follow; she was truly wise.
There is nothing quite like death to make you fully appreciate the fragility and immeasurable value of life. I am counting my blessings today, as I do every day. I am offering thanks and gratitude for my loved ones and their good health and happiness. For my friends, near and far, old and new. For my own good health, and capacity for love and joy and faith and growth.
So my wish for the universe is this: whomever may read this post, love someone a little deeper today, hug a little longer, extend an extra kindness to someone in your world, known or stranger; find some way to leave your imprint of goodness on this world.
Choose how you wish to be remembered.
