Change of Address

One of the inescapable truths about life is that people you love will die.  It is always hard when they do.  In the last couple of weeks, someone I dearly love has died, and family members of people I love have died as well.

There is no way to avoid death.  There is no road map to navigate the grief that accompanies death.

Love never dies.

My Catholic faith has informed me that this life on Earth is merely a prelude to eternal life.  I believe that wholeheartedly.  I believe that those I love who have died are waiting for me in Heaven.

Because I believe this, I now look at death as a change of address.  I may not be able to see the people I love who have died, but they are still there.  I can pray to them to intercede for me.  I can talk to them about my worries and my joys.  

In my stories, for some of my characters, the veil between heaven and earth is very sheer.  They receive messages from their loved ones on the other side, and freely talk to them.  I remain open to the possibility of communicating with my loved ones on the other side.

As I navigate my own grief, and feel the grief and pain of my friends, I hold on to my belief that I will see the people I love again some day, and that my friends will also be reunited with their loved ones.

Until that reunion, I will hold on to the love that those who have died brought to my life, and continue to love them with the same intensity that I loved them with when I could see them and touch them.

Love never dies.  I may miss the people I've loved for the rest of my life, but I will never stop loving them.