Life on earth is short

I can't help but think of my own mortality or for that matter my husband's, my mother's, my father's, my kid's, my friend's, and really anyone close to my heart. It's something that seems to be on my mind the older I get. Of course as we get older, we are witness to more death and with age will also bring the deaths closer to home than I would like. Death is not something that many will talk about and understandably so. It brings up feelings of deep sadness and questions our faith. For some, death can mean peace and closure. I suppose it depends on who died and how they died, but mostly it can forever change who we are.
Why am I thinking about this and why did I decide to write about it? Well, as I said in the beginning of this post, it's been something that's been on my mind. Going to a wake and seeing first hand the grief, heartbreak, and new found emptiness tugged at my heart strings. It makes me wonder when my time will come or a worst thought, when the time of my loved ones will come. Will I die before them? I often hope that I will not have to grieve the loss of my dearest loved ones. Just the thought makes me anxious. I don't know how I could handle it. Not that I don't think they will be in a beautiful place after this life and truly home, but in my own selfishness, I don't know how I'd be able to carry on. So, I try not to think about that too much as it will only make me sad and no use being sad over something that could happen. But, I also think it's important to understand the grieving process.
I did a presentation on grief in high school and felt a true understanding on what all the stages of grief are. I feel it is very important to understand this because things we don't understand are things we cannot connect to. If we cannot connect to these important feelings, then we are no use in helping those who suffer their loss. I found through my studies that most people avoid talking about the person who passed in fear that they will upset the grieving heart. After all, what do you say? What if you say the wrong thing? Well, in actuality, people who are grieving are constantly thinking about their loved one that passed and find comfort in sharing their feelings or stories about the person. They want to know that you have not forgotten about them. Yes, this may cause some tears to be shed, but it's only natural and it's healthy to let these emotions flow. My heart weighs heavy on those who have suffered great loss and I pray that they will find comfort and peace in those dark moments of mourning. This life is short, but when struggling through loss, the days can drag on. This is why it is so important to treasure every moment and not sweat the small stuff.

A memory from someone dear to my heart: My Great-grandma Manthey was the sweetest lady. I remember her sitting at my grandparents' kitchen table with her soft pastel colored sweater draping over her shoulders. She had this dark wooden cane that my sister and I would take turns walking with. Another day she was sitting in the big corner chair in the living room and my sister and I were directly behind her combing her hair. While combing through the silver strands, one of us stops and says, "Grandma, don't you ever comb your hair?!" She never forgot that moment and continued to share that story with all she encountered for the years that came! Every time we hugged her, she would pat our hip and say, "Bless your little heart." I just loved her so!