Grief and Death: Old Friends

We all have experienced death in our lifetime from friends, family, and co-workers. Death has a way of taking people out of our lives quickly through car accidents or slowly through illnesses. No matter what though, we all either choose to grieve or not to grieve. What about grieving while the person is still alive?

I mean, we have friends and family in our lives that we know are going to die, but why grieve now? 

Sometimes we don't even know we are grieving. 

It's ironic. We know that one day all of us are going to die and meet our maker. So why do we wait to grieve before that phone call, email, text, or Facebook message comes? Why do we wait to the last minute to grieve? I recently asked a friend of mine that very question. She told me, that for so long there were no programs to help us with grief. There were limited help on grieving. Now there are all kinds of study on how grief affects our body, mind, and soul. 

Today I got the news that a friend of mine that I grew up with has died. I am grieving for the loss of her smile. I got news this past month that my sister has cancer and is in stage four. I have a friend that is getting older and  less healthy every day. Aren't we all going to die one day? Listening to my friend from Hospice made me realize that I am surrounded by death and I might be grieving early. 

Honestly, I got off the phone and said, "right, I'm not grieving." The more I thought about it and the more that I recognized all the people around me that are not as healthy as they once were or already died; I just might be grieving and still grieving. 

August will mark another year of my father's passing out of this life.I can't decide to celebrate or if I am still grieving. I know that my friends at Hospice always have their doors open and have a counselor ready to listen. You might think it is ridiculous to talk to someone about grief when the person is still alive, but I believe that it is better to be prepared than to face it at the last moment. 

Jesus talked about his death to his disciples before it took place. He was trying to help them understand that his death was going to come and though they may grieve it was for a worthy cause (John 14). He told his disciples that where He was going they could not go yet. Isn't that what is happening or happened to those who have died before us. We are unable to go where they have gone because it is not our time. So what do we do while waiting?  I say let our light shine Let us be a reflection of the love our friends invested in us to shine and invest into others. Let's leave a legacy, a memorial, a remembrance, a token of love for others to see. 

Be encourage that it's not too early to grieve.