IT'S NOT THE DYING, LORD, -- IT'S THE "GOODBYE-ING"

   Rather, it is the expected or the unexpected--death is inevitable in everyone's life.  In fact we are in the process of dying everyday.
   Recently, there was a death in my daughter's family. Her mother in law died--a expected but unexpected death. She had lung cancer and was told a few more years --but pneumonia took her within a few months of being diagnosed. There were things planned by her --but many things not taken care of-- that put a burden on her children to handle. Simple things like passwords, account numbers, credit cards to cancel, just to name a few they did not have to help them close out her accounts.
   Their experience got my husband and I to thinking of how important it is to make sure our leaving did not leave our family in a bind. Also just as important ---you want to be sure your spouse is not left in a mess either.
For this reason, you must realize that death can come at any time.  Therefore preparation must be made to be sure that loved ones left behind do not face the unexpected legal complications. Not only that but there is the mixed feelings and or fighting that can arise among the ones we leave to deal with all the left behinds.
   More important than that---when we are realize that life cannot be taken for granted and the unexpected can happen at any time; never leave unresolved any personal issues that have come up in family or friends relationships!! You want to be sure that your loved ones know just how proud you are of them, how much you have always loved them and that even out of sight that you will always be there for them. (It might help to to put some levity into the conversation by telling them they can be expected to be 'haunted.' as you watch over them.) They can count on you to be reminding them to do the right thing. Hmm---I wonder if what we think is our conscience is really the voices of deceased loved ones, watching over us and sending us reminders of the best choices to make?
   So, let us remember that it is really not the dying that is hard--but what will be hard is the goodbyeing that our loved one will be left with. What memories will flood there inner being as they grieve? Make sure that final words and memories are the ones they will treasure forever and leave them with a smile mid the tears.
Let us LIVE to make sure we LIVE forever, and LIVE each day as if it is the day that we start that forever life!!! In other words---"this could be the day that I die--this could be the day that I die."  Think about it ----it could very well be.