On September 15 I posted a message about Jeff Byers, who was in a coma following a head-on collision on September 7. On November 4, Jeff passed away, without regaining consciousness.
Yesterday I learned that a dear friend's daughter — a high school classmate of my daughter, and the mother of two small girls — has a rapidly growing brain tumor with a dire prognosis measured in months.
Life can change, even end, in an instant. At the risk of sounding morbid, I feel a strong urge to remind you that we don't always know how much time we have left to follow up on our intention to create a written legacy.
Write now: as if this is your last chance to tell future generations things you really want them to know and remember. Don't wait another month to form this new writing habit. And/or write about your experience with sudden or unexpected deaths; about comforting others or receiving comfort.
Write on,
Sharon Lippincott, aka Ritergal
4 comments :
On Thanksgiving Eve a part of the service at my spiritual center was remembering those who have passed since last year's celebration of thanks. My thoughts turned to Michael who was gone too soon in the early forties of a life that held no indication of colon cancer that took him out of this life. One of the only good factors of this advance knowledge was having the opportunity to talk to him and about all of the joy he brought to our lives. And Patti who was one of the longest breast cancer survivors ever.......and left quietly and again, too soon. Too soon. Their voices are silenced but we don't have to be as we remember.
It's so hard to know what to say in the face of loss, and yet it feels so right to reach out and offer a shoulder to lean on, to help each other cope with the unspeakable courage of being. Since we're here talking about memoirs, I want to recommend one of the best ones I have read, Kate Braestrup, "Here if you need me." (I listened to the Audible.com download). It was a lovely expansion of my understanding of life and death.
Jerry
Memory Writers Network
I believe it was Mitch Albom in Tuesdays with Morrie who wrote that in order to live, we must learn to die. Sounds morbid at first, but it's so true.
I love Mitch Alborn. Have you also read the Five People You Meet in Heaven?
I was looking over old pictures of Uncle Jeff this week. It's still hard to believe he's gone.
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