Sunday, November 16, 2014

The Power of Loss

A year ago today, my brother died.

Saying I miss him is not enough to convey the depth of my feelings.

I miss his hugs
I miss the jokes we used to share
I miss watching him come into his home tired after a hard days work, being proud that my brother was a good man.
I miss the love he showed for his family
I miss the way he looked at his wife and and then would say "isnt my wife beautiful"
I miss his ability to diffuse me by making me laugh and his uncanny ability to embaress me in social situations
I miss those conversations we had on the rare occasions when we were alone.
I miss him treating me like he was my big brother even though he was the youngest

I miss his presence, I miss his smile and knowing he would always be there for me.

But today, he is not.

In the past year Ive learned that death can change people. 

It has a way of putting life into perspective.

It makes you see past all the nonsense and get to what really matters.

So often we get caught up in the petty nonsense and resentments of the past. We waste time being upset.  We get offened over something that seems so major at the time, we lose focus on whats really important.   But when someone you love dies, you learn all that really matters is the love you have for one another.  You learn that accepting people for who they are and loving them with all your heart can soothe the worst pain. 

What we do on a daily basis seems so insignificant, but to someone who knows they are loved it means everything. Tell people you love them, show it even more.