Death and Love

"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal."
Richard Puz, From an Irish headstone

This weekend I watched the funeral procession for Beau Biden, the son of Vice President Joe Biden, who died of brain cancer last week. As I watched I realized that Beau had been snatched from life  too soon and that I was feeling so much pain in the heart of his family and friends which little comfort could be offered to avoid the hurt. It also made me face my own mortality and accept the knowledge that my time on earth is so brief.  With this fact I also realized that I needed to develop a passion for being alive. I began to accept that I had an unconscious level of frantic fear of death. Given the fact that I was suffering with stage four cancer, I know my fears were very real and that I needed to accept that I too was a leaf that will fall off the tree of life.
It does help to know that I am not alone in this fear and that no one knows how time each person has. I know that my fear is based on my thoughts that I will be forgotten as will all the people a love and care for.  I remind myself the memories I create in this life will make an everlasting impression that can't be forgotten.
Today I offer this challenge to draw from my faith that the afterlife promised by Christ will make the thoughts and fear  of death lose it's power.  I also  challenge myself to live each moment like it is my last moment on earth and to be grateful for all that I have.