Embracing Life and Death (Part 3)

In our last two blogs, we introduced these ideas:

(1) The goal is to spend our time on earth wisely.

(2) There is more to enjoy BEYOND death than there is prior to it!

(3) Life is full of losses, and grief is the natural human mechanism to cope.

Now, today ……

(4) In embracing life and death, remember the eternal power of love. 

1 Corinthians 13:7-8 (ETRV)
7 Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits.
8 Love will never end.

Tuesdays with Morrie is a memoir by American author Mitch Albom about a series of visits Albom made to his former sociology professor Morrie Schwartz, as Schwartz gradually dies of ALS.
The book topped the New York Times Non-Fiction Bestsellers of 2000. (Wikipedia) There is a TV movie based on the book, on YouTube.

Here are some quotes:

“Death ends a life, not a relationship.”

“Try to imagine a life without timekeeping. You probably can’t. You know the month, the year, the day of the week. There is a clock on your wall or the dashboard of your car. You have a schedule, a calendar, a time for dinner or a movie. Yet all around you, timekeeping is ignored. Birds are not late. Deer do not fret over passing birthdays. Man alone measures time. Man alone chimes the hour. And, because of this, man alone suffers a paralyzing fear that no other creature endures. A fear of time running out. Learn how to live and you’ll know how to die; learn how to die, and you’ll know how to live.”

Here are some of my concluding observations.

#1 = Our love for someone is not ended at death. We may be denied fellowship with any beloved person, by death, but those loving memories and that loving relationship can never be replaced. It can be duplicated with others but never replaced.

#2 = Keep memories alive by sharing stories amongst those who survive the loss.

#3 = Take more than plenty of pictures and videos along the way! Share them readily.

#4 = It is OK to remember birthdays and anniversaries and timeline milestones of those who have departed this world. In fact, it is very healthy.

Music Artists Huey Lewis & the News sang the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of the 1985 movie, Back To The Future. That song was Academy Award-nominated for the year’s Best Original Song.

It was titled: “Power of Love” and it starts like this:

The power of love is a curious thing
Make a one man weep, make another man sing
Change a hawk to a little white dove
More than a feeling, that’s the power of love.

Alfred Lord Tennyson said: ‘Tis better to have loved and lost Than never to have loved at all.’

I agree. And, the power of love is an amazing thing.

Have you embraced the eternal power of love?