Comment by sambeau
1 year ago
So beautifully put.
When I lost my son, I found comfort in two thoughts—
- A big life can be very short
- "Why NOT me?"
Grief is an illness that can only be cured by time. Your wounds heal over, but never completely fade. You gradually pack it away in a little box alongside a few physical things—small clothes, toys, photos—and try not to open it too often in case you let it all spill out, or the smells to fade. Every now and then, someone knocks the box without realising and your grief tumbles onto the floor. It can take days to fit it all back in.
> A big life can be very short.
My nephew was born by emergency c-section after my sister experienced sudden cardiac death at age 29, 8 months pregnant. They were able to restart his heart, but after six days, he had recovered no brain activity, and passed away in the loving arms of his dad.
In those six days, that little boy brought peace to every person who met him, in the worst situation any of us had ever been in, even though he never even took a breath under his own power or opened his eyes.
Every year, as the anniversaries of his birth and death come around, I spend those days trying to ask myself if I've made good use of my time like he did of his.
BIG life. Long impact. Short days.