Loss

My precious Grandpa died today. Once a strapping and spirited man he was ravaged by that heinous "C" word that has become such a nonchalantly normal part of modern life. But in the end, still stubborn and full of good humor, he was a shadow of his former self. He was shrouded by his loving family as their gentle presence allowed his journey to the other side to be a little more comfortable.

Loss is difficult to conceive until you've lost. Sadly, it's a profound emotion I've become all too familiar with. I had the good fortune not only to know him (and all of my grandparents) but to sit at his bedside and tell him how much he has meant to my life and express how his teachings and the love I felt from him enriched the very person that I am. Because I was blessed enough to have such a lengthy relationship with him it makes it that much harder to say goodbye. I wish it were easy to gracefully accept death as a inevitable even beautiful part of life - an event not to be mourned but to be celebrated and upheld. This too is difficult when the process is begat with so much suffering. For the surviving the great emptiness that is left in the wake of death can overshadow the gratitude that we feel about the termination of pain and the joy that the life bestowed upon us.

I will miss so much about my Grandpa and all those who passed before him for the many contributions they made to my life and the world at large. While death saddens me it does not scare me. I see it as a chance for a new beginning. A chance to embrace the beauty of life all over again.