Death of a Parent
Is there any age when the death of a parent doesn't pierce your heart and affect every facet of your life?
My dad was in the hospital room when I was born, and I was there when he died. I know many people don't believe in an afterlife, so I don't know if they would have the same feeling I do about helping someone transition out of life into death. But for me, to be there with him was an honor.
My heart aches for those who lose their loved ones to accident or trauma, who never experience holding someone's hand as their body breaks down and their heart and lungs labor to beat and breathe and even though it breaks your heart, you're glad they aren't doing this alone, and you believe under that labored breathing and unconsciousness they know you're there with them, supporting them, loving them, telling them it's okay to let go and move on, that you'll be okay.
It's taken me these years to see the beauty in living; not just the appreciation, or the gratitude, but the beauty of life. The beauty of skin and hearts and lungs, hands and eyes and ears and mouths, these things we use to experience the world around us, the people around us, the beauty of nature and art and man-made landscapes and music and food and all these things that bring pleasure to our senses.
Maybe it takes watching these things shut down in another person's body to appreciate them in yourself. At least, it did for me. I admire those who don't need this...what word is the opposite of inertia? That's the word I mean.
We love, so our hearts are broken. But we do go on, and we see new things and meet new people and experience new joy and sensations and grab tight to those memories and feelings, and that is the beauty of life.
If you've lost a close loved one, you might feel the world folding in on itself around you. I did. Hold on, you'll be okay. There is still a beautiful life waiting for you.
My dad was in the hospital room when I was born, and I was there when he died. I know many people don't believe in an afterlife, so I don't know if they would have the same feeling I do about helping someone transition out of life into death. But for me, to be there with him was an honor.
My heart aches for those who lose their loved ones to accident or trauma, who never experience holding someone's hand as their body breaks down and their heart and lungs labor to beat and breathe and even though it breaks your heart, you're glad they aren't doing this alone, and you believe under that labored breathing and unconsciousness they know you're there with them, supporting them, loving them, telling them it's okay to let go and move on, that you'll be okay.
It's taken me these years to see the beauty in living; not just the appreciation, or the gratitude, but the beauty of life. The beauty of skin and hearts and lungs, hands and eyes and ears and mouths, these things we use to experience the world around us, the people around us, the beauty of nature and art and man-made landscapes and music and food and all these things that bring pleasure to our senses.
Maybe it takes watching these things shut down in another person's body to appreciate them in yourself. At least, it did for me. I admire those who don't need this...what word is the opposite of inertia? That's the word I mean.
We love, so our hearts are broken. But we do go on, and we see new things and meet new people and experience new joy and sensations and grab tight to those memories and feelings, and that is the beauty of life.
If you've lost a close loved one, you might feel the world folding in on itself around you. I did. Hold on, you'll be okay. There is still a beautiful life waiting for you.
Comments
Actually I'm facing the loss of a good friend at the moment, not through death, but because the friendship was no longer healthy, and it hurts so much.
(( thank you )) for this post.
And life does go on... not just for those whose hearts still beat, but for those whose bodies are done, and whose souls leave their "old" bodies behind .. Life really never ends. This I can say with certainty. Your father is very much alive, my friend. And one day, your soul and his soul will be together again. Life on this earth is just a vapor. Eternity awaits.