Maybe this comes with age, with the long view from the other side of the hill (the one I just went over). Life just seems more precious and sad when you realize this is just a short-term thing.
I don't know why the pain of loss endures. I keep wanting to sing "Don't leave me this way...", but no one is listening. I don't feel the presence of those who are gone, as some do. I want to believe they are still with us, but I think it has more to do with the impression they have left upon us. There is a line from a song in Wicked, where one friend who is leaving sings to another, "you'll be with me like a handprint on my heart..." (see link above). That seems to say it all for me.
What to do with the remaining years as we wait for our time to depart? Dwelling on the past does not seem to be working for me. After all, you can't change the past and you certainly can't go back there. I guess all we can do is hope for a brighter tomorrow, and a chance to enjoy some of the good things that life has to offer.
The laugh of a child discovering something for the first time. The smile on the face of someone in love. Even the sound of the wind rustling through the trees. Joy can be found in the beauty of all God's creations, if we just look for it. Joy can be found in the presence of all those we love as well. Even the ones who are no longer with us.
