Everyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one will understand those three words: “gone too soon.” Whether the person was 98 or 9, that loved one was "gone too soon.” Those three words represent so much.
When losing a loved one, you realize that there will forever be a void that will never be able to feel full again, you realize that there will be no more happy birthday phone calls or texts, there will be no more dinner dates and there will be milestones that you talked about forever that they will never get to be a part of. Sure, people believe in heaven and life after death but the person won’t be there to actually see you succeed and be the person that you had always dreamed of being.
For me, I have lost two grandparents in one year. I remember the sadness like it was yesterday. Getting that phone call and that silence on the phone before anyone could even answer my “hello?” was one of the most depressing things.
My Mom-Mom (grandmom), someone who never missed a single beat, was starting to lose her spunk. Anyone who knew her would understand what that means. When I would pull up to her house, as soon as I locked my car, she was at the front door jumping up and down with this huge smile on her face. She loved getting visits from her grandchildren. There were rainy days where we would talk on the phone for hours while I was at school about how college was going, how my sister was doing, what I planned on doing next with my life, how many kids I wanted, everything. We talked about anything and everything. She always said to me how excited she was for me to reach all of my milestones: graduating high school, getting into college, college, my first collegiate game, graduation, engagement, marriage, kids. She wanted to see it all. Then, one day, our world flipped upside down. “They found more cancer.” For 13 years, she had been battling with cancer off and on. They were in a very unhealthy high school relationship but we thought we finally got rid of that a**hole.
The day I remember the most is the day she looked at me and said “the day I dread the most is the day I have to leave you guys.” With my eyes swelling up, I looked at her and hugged her tight hoping I would never lose her. Time passed, everything was going great and then again, our world was flipped. Gone too soon.
There are many people, just like me and my family who have lost a parent, grandparent, sibling, significant other, a friend or any loved one in general. I bet most of those people who have lost someone can vividly remember the day they lost that person. This loved one didn’t get to see you reach all of your milestones, they didn’t get to meet your children or your new boyfriend or girlfriend, they didn’t get to send you a card in the mail saying “congrats.” And now, all of those goals and dreams that they used to discuss with that person, has a little more emotion behind it. Now you put your right foot forward for them and accomplish things you otherwise didn’t think you could, for them.
"Gone too soon" isn’t just an expression, it means that the person left this world before they were able to see it in a better light, before they were able to see the people they love succeed, before they were able to meet their great grandchildren, before they were able to celebrate another birthday or holiday and they were taken from their families and friends too soon. The world has a weird way of being—but like they say, there’s a plan for everything.
This article is written for all of those people who have had someone taken from them too soon. While they aren’t able to be here watching you succeed, remember that you always have them in your heart and in your mind.
