This past week some of my pals and I were reminiscing about our friend who passed away suddenly a few years ago. The ‘Reminisce Fest’ started innocently enough with a group text asking us to share our favorite Tony Logue song. Several hours and a million stories later we ended the textimonial to our friend. Good memories of a good friend. Good memories of a good friend whose life ended too soon.
Unfortunately I couldn’t remember the last time that I saw my childhood friend. I wondered if he knew how much his friendship had meant to me over the years. Being the over thinker that I am I began to examine if I was doing everything that I could to make sure that those closest to me know how much they mean to me and how much I love them. Who knows when the last time that we might see someone might be...
The thing about last moments with the people that we love is that we don’t always know that they’re last moments. They are innocently disguised as ordinary exchanges on the front porch or in the kitchen or at the airport. Those exchanges rarely broadcast their meaning or finality at the time.
Maybe that’s best, as our hearts probably couldn’t bear the weight of such moments in realtime. Our desire to stop time or to hold on or to change the ending of the story would be too much for our fragile minds to endure.
Death always comes as an interruption. The visit of the Reaper always leaves things unfinished. It creates too many lasts that we’re not ready for: last embraces, last kisses, last whispers of ‘I love you’, last hugs. I’ve learned that there is no way to prepare for life-ending distractions; all we can do is to try and be as present as humanly possible in every moment with the people that we love. We should make our time spent with one another filled with lavish affection without reservation. Our ‘hellos’ and ‘goodbyes’ should be given with eternity in mind.
Embrace and kiss and fiercely hug the people you love while you can. One day you might only be left with the memory of the person who is now before you. That’s the thing about memories; they can warm you up on the inside but they can also tear you apart.
Be well.
Bill
