One of my dearest friends lost her husband this past Monday. She is now left behind with two small children and preparing to say her final goodbyes to the love of her life.
When I received a Facebook message from her sister telling me to call her right away, my mind began to race with different scenarios. I panicked thinking something tragic had happened to my friend. That she may have been in an accident or something worse.
As I heard the news that her husband died, I could feel my heart breaking--breaking for her, their children, his parents, the whole family.
One of the goals of a writer is to break things down, figure things out and educate those who read their pieces. However, the death of a man in his 40s is something I will never be able to figure out or enlighten anyone about.
What I do know is tragic events like these are reminder to all who are touched by the news that life is short. It goes by in the blink of the eye. There are certainly no guarantees as to how long we will exist on this earth. We need to make the best of our time here on earth. Wake up each day and reach for our goals, and most important of all, reach out to those who we love and care about.
I was also reminded of something else during this whole tragedy--that love exists outside of romantic relationships.That's hard to grasp sometimes when you're single but it most definitely does.
I felt love the minute my heart sunk thinking something horrible had happened to my friend, and when I couldn't hold the tears back when I heard she had lost her husband. I want to protect all my loved ones from pain and suffering with every fiber of my being even though I can't. Talking to my friend and her sister they told me how much they loved me. A few friends who I had called to let them know the news, have checked in with me these last couple of days not only to find out how she was doing but also to see how I was doing. One friend said to me, "You are a good friend of mine and I will cherish your friendship forever. I love you!"
Most important of all, while talking to my friend's sister and exchanging messages with her friends, I have witnessed the love my friend is surrounded with in her life. Her family flew down to Florida as soon as they could to be by her side, her friends in New York called the second they knew she was up to talking on the phone, and her best friend who also lives in Florida has been her rock. I always knew she had an awesome family and amazing friends, but seeing them all in action is just a beautiful reminder of how very special they all are.
It is said in the Beatitudes that blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. I pray this will be true for my friend and her family. I think of the difficult times I have been going through recently, and how the support of family members, friends and acquaintances has helped me greatly, but my setbacks are nothing compared to the lost of a spouse.
However, I will hold on to the belief that the love radiating from all the people in my friend's life will lift her and her family up if not today then one day. As tragic as all of this is, I was reminded of how the healing power of love can get a person through times like these and beyond. I hope my friend is reminded of this too.
Remember Chiquita, Velveeta loves you!
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