My mom recently lost her lifelong best friend. After a long battle with alzheimers. She spoke at her funeral, and watching my mom in that kind of pain, despite knowing for sure that Auntie S's pain was over, broke my heart. Made me realise just how special our friends are. Our friends who we keep making plans with and never managing to honour for whatever reason.
Her son officiated her funeral, as a Deacon. When he spoke, he talked about Sunrises and Sunsets. A time to be born, and a time to die. A beginning, and an ending. For everything in life.
A few weeks ago, we lost a client to a vicious and senseless murder. Broke her family and her very large staff and community. Shook them all. I found myself wondering again about the sunset. Is it not meant to be glorious? And then I realised, that although the sunset is quite stunning, and the sunrise makes you catch your breath, it is what happens in between that is really what makes our sunsets.
How we love those around us. How we love ourselves. How we treat our earthly vessels, our amazing bodies. How we communicate with those we care about. Are we kind? Do we leave others with a sense of appreciation, do we make them feel seen, heard, accepted, and cherished?
A very dear friend of mine, finally found her soulmate. About 5 years ago. In her fifties. This man idolized her, after so many years of a bitterly unhappy marriage. He treated her like a queen, he never said an ugly word. He has been fighting for his life the last few weeks, and last night, was his sunset. The pain my friend must be going through I could never even imagine. But how amazing was his between time? How fully did he live his life, just by loving?
An amazing client of 23 years, who has been suffering with cancer for the past 4 years, is lying in a state of dreams, about to experience her sunset. I have been honoured to have spent time with her over the past few weeks. Holding her hand. Chatting about life after death, about being scared, and about what happens next. She slipped into a coma last week and she is saying her goodbyes in her head, and her hellos to the other side. Her family is absolutely devastated. She has lived her whole life for her work, for her company, and now, at 74, she has never retired. She has just worked. How is that fair? She has been married for the last 50 plus years to a man who adores her, and now he faces his sunset alone.
I am so grateful for those around me who have carried me, smiled at me, hugged me, and loved me. Who have seen the promise and the potential and the beauty within. And brought it out.
There is so much ugliness around us. But there is so much love, so much promise. So many memories to be made. Dont just sit and wait. LIVE. Live for those who can no longer. LOVE. Love like you want to be loved. Smile. Hug. Kiss deeply. Our sunsets will come, but first we need to appreciate the beauty of the now.
Be kind to one another.
