Hard To Let Go
We attended a memorial service yesterday. The service was intended to celebrate the memory of a life. A life cut short by that horrible disease called cancer.
The pastor said a few words at the beginning of the service.
It is hard to be here and it is hard to let go. For those of you who are parents, you will know what I mean. I remember when I was teaching my son how to ride a bike. I was running alongside him, holding him, helping him ride. And at a certain point, he looked at me and said: Dad! You have to let me go!
And I let him go.
Today, we celebrate a life. A life that we have to let go.
The life we were celebrating fought quite the battle. Over several years. During the service, I found myself thinking about what it would be like to face certain death in my forties. How would I respond?
According to an AARP survey that I read, most people are concerned about their quality of life at the end of life. Over 90 percent believe that total physical dependency would be worse than death and 70 percent say that living in great pain or not being able to communicate their wishes would be worse than death. Over 80 percent fear dying painfully. Only 40 percent took comfort from their religion.
The pastor did remind us that life here is not the end. He reminded us about the hope that we have in God.
It is hard to let go and especially hard to let go of someone who died not from old age but from ‘evil’ cancer… I would hate to hear my doctor say ‘you have cancer’ I would feel my life was over… even though it may not.