Cancer has claimed two of my friends over the last 5 months. Both were very accomplished career women, deeply spiritual, and with hearts of gold that led them to serve the less privileged with humility despite the status they occupied in their professional careers. Several weeks before the first died, we had the opportunity to thank one another for the quality of friendship that we had both given each other. We bid one another farewell and promised that we would see each other in heaven. The last time I received a call from her, I had no idea that in just 5 days she would make her transition to eternity.
When my other friend went into the hospital for some tests 2 weeks ago, even she thought that she would shortly return to her normal life, including her employment with the US government and her role in the immigrant support and advocacy organization where she and I were both volunteer board members. She was diagnosed with an advanced stage of cancer and in just a matter of days, she was gone. Together, we (that is, all of our colleagues in the immigrant support and advocacy organization) believed in social justice and social action. She more than I was totally committed to our cause of helping the least among us – a cause that we have consistently pursued with remarkable success. As I sat at her funeral service tonight (less than 2 days to a new year), many unavoidable thoughts ran through my mind.
With such amazing peers exiting the auditorium of life, the realities of aging are clearer to me than ever before. The impermanence of living has also become more real and the shape of mortality’s gaze appears increasingly evident. What now?
Your experience is invaluable and so are our words. Thank you.
By so doing, their lives should serve as examples for the rest of us who still live.
Indeed we do, and many of us certainly need to do a better job at understanding and responding to the needs of our bodies.
God will replace the changing of the Guard as He always does. Be open to His infinite comfort, grace and mercy. Be open to new birth after labor pains. As a cancer survivor, I am well aware that life is a gift and we have to make a positive impact. These Ladies made positive impacts and the baton is being passed. Pray,trust, watch, listen, obey. Blessings!
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It's so painful, but i have a strong conviction that they have lived a worthy life by giving their all to the needy and they are now with the Lord.
We take good health for granted never understanding how vulnerable we are.