Losing a loved one will never come easy for us. It doesn't matter if it was their time or not or if they were young or old. Expected, or completely out of the blue, it will never be something that we can just understand. Often times death comes to those who are young, but somehow we know we have to cry through the tough times and rely on each other to get us through to the next day.
But when we do lose someone in our life, there are always some things that we might think about as we ponder that person's death. Here are five things that we think about when we lose a loved one.
1. They're in a better place now.
For a lot of people, this one comes to mind first, especially if the person they lost was in a lot of pain and suffering. We say this because it may be the only positive thing that comes out of a death that was preceded by pain. They have made it to the afterlife, something that for a lot of people means a Heaven or something similar.
2. What does death feel like?
What does it actually feel like to take your last breath? As childish as this may sound, does it hurt? A lot of fear that comes with death is the uncertainty of what happens next and any potential pain. The fear of the unknown is a captivating and gripping fear that affects us all. The worst part of it is that we will never really know until our own time comes.
3. Can our lost loved ones really see and hear us still?
This one is a tricky question, to which I have no answer. In my heart, I want to believe that we get signs from our loved ones because they do indeed see and hear what we are doing and thinking. I believe they become our guardian angels, constantly keeping watch over us and guiding us along the way, just as they would've done if they were still with us now.
4. How? And why?
It doesn't make sense. Why do our loved ones have to leave us? Especially in the case of a young death. Why are they taken away before their time? Again, something that may never been understood. In times like this, it's when we rely on God's plan to provide the end goal. It still may not provide the how and why, but at the very least we can comfort in the fact that it is out of our hands.
5. Who will be at my own funeral?
I think this one is a selfish thought that a lot of us have had before, and of course it's impossible to know who will be there when we say goodbye to this earth. More importantly, the question to ask yourself is what else can I do with my life now? What else can I do to make the world a better place? Who can I reach out to and what can I do to improve others' lives?
The moral of all of this is to never take a single moment for granted. I know this is said often and sometimes just brushed off. But the next time someone says this to you, AKA right now, take these words to heart. You have so much to give and so much to do, so enjoy the moments you have and make as many memories as you can. Try things you never would've dreamed of trying; they might end up being your favorite things in life. Don't waste a single breath, you never know when it will be your last.
To our dearly beloved that we have had to say "see you later" to rest easy. See you again someday.
