Crossing Over

"The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time"...(Mark Twain). Today's blog article is in honor of my uncle who passed away today suddenly. His death was like his life....on his terms. He died doing something he loved, flying. One could be saddened by this tragic accident, yet in sadness...I respect his desire to keep taking risks, right up until the very end. When someone dies, a strange door is opened and everyone touched by that loss takes pause to reflect about life and death. Each loss reminds us that we are all one step away from crossing over, whether that day be today or many years from now. We cannot live each day in fear of death however. Living a life in fear is living a life half dead. What's the point of that? Death teaches us all that we have a choice to live life to the fullest. People often get mired down in the pain of loss and the fear of death, neglecting the very life they have been given to live. Sometimes deep reflection after a loss is needed however, to honor the life of the loved one who crossed over as well as reflecting about the meaning of life. As strange as that sounds, people are so busy with their daily concerns that they forget what a true miracle life really is. Yet after a loss....people are touched by the opening of deaths door. The opening of that door is an opportunity for healing. We can heal in forgiveness and in taking stock of what we've learned from the life of the person who passed. Every person's life is a lesson and can teach us something, even if those lessons are what we'd do differently. It's so interesting to watch how people are in daze after a death and how they join together in bereavement. A loss weaves family and friends together through their sadness and their reflections. If only for a moment in time, people who have been scattered, come together to honor the life of their loved one. Loss connects us all ultimately because to live is to have lost and no soul is untouched by death. Here are some inspiring quotes about the lessons that death teaches us. “I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge - myth is more potent than history - dreams are more powerful than facts - hope always triumphs over experience - laughter is the cure for grief - love is stronger than death"...(Robert Fulghum). “Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows"...(Pope Paul VI). "We cannot banish dangers, but we can banish fears. We must not demean life by standing in awe of death"...(David Sarnoff). “Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy"...(Eskimo Proverb). Living life with love, passion and heart is the lesson I choose to honor from each loss. A person's life is their legacy here and forever leaves an imprint in the lives they've touched. So in honor of my uncle....I say a blessing to remind people to live life fully, with everything they've got. Laugh so deeply that it hurts, don't hold back loving words because you fear rejection and just let yourself feel every emotion fully. Why hold back? Life is but a blink of an eye and will be over before you know it...so enjoy, cry, scream, and love with every part of your heart and soul.