Our Living Memories

After returning home to celebrate a couple of events a few weeks ago, I found out a family member had been extremely ill for a short time period and ended up passing away very soon thereafter.  I had made plans to visit him in the hospital, only to find out that time had marched forward very quickly and his time with us had come to an end very suddenly.  I went from going to celebrate happy occasions to making another trip home a week later to a more somber celebration of an individual's life, which reminded me that life is full circle of all of these types of moments.  We all have a limited journey in which we have no control over when the celestial clock that determines where it comes to a complete stop.  For those of us still living, we are left to contemplate what we have done to leave an indelible mark, that we hope will bring a smile to somebody's face when they remember us after we are long gone.  It isn't until when these moments occur, that we realize how sometimes we do take time for granted.  Many of us believe that we will always have another weekend or perhaps another holiday when we can catch up with a dear family member or an old friend.  Yet, the reality is that in many instances we miss the opportunity in which we could have said hello or goodbye one last time.  I am sure we all can remember a final instance when we saw someone that was close to us, which ended up being the last time we have a living memory of them.  What we are left with are instances where we capture a final picture or moment which plays back to us like a video montage after they have left.  As I get older, I realize that time stands still for nobody and as the clock continues to tick in the distance and it reminds me that we need to make the best of the days along with hours that still remain.  Many of us have suffered losses and no matter what the circumstances, we are never prepared for when those moments occur.  If we think about someone that was very close to us that is no longer living, I am sure that we all have had the same thought about having one final opportunity to have one more day where we could have one last talk or hug that would comfort and fill our hearts. Because we are all left with just the pictures in our minds and in our hearts, we have to find some comfort in having those occasions where we can replay them of that person sitting next to us and providing us with that feeling of being connected in life.  Since none of us is promised another tomorrow, it is important to reach out and say thank you, I love you or any other thoughts we want to express while we are still living to those that mean something to us.  In my mind, I feel like I have a catalog of albums that are filled with so many pictures and videos that I sometimes have a hard time finding the right one that I was looking for, when I need a playback.  Then as days go by, something will happen or somebody will say a word that triggers that memory or picture and in a quick flash, I can see the image I had been searching for which is usually followed by a smile and a sense of happiness.   I hope your personal pictures, videos and moments live on forever in your memories and in your heart of those that meant so much to you.  My other wish is that the time that you have left can always be filled with those occasions that make life worth living.  To my happy go lucky cousin with a great big generous heart, Roberto a.k.a. "Pollo"☨ who now rests in eternal peace, I will miss you and one day we will meet again to have some additional laughs and give a welcoming hug as we catch up on the time that has passed in-between.