“We never lost our loved ones. They accompany us; they don’t disappear from our lives. We are merely in different rooms.—Paulo Coelho
One in every 5,000 people in the United States is a centenarian, someone who’s 100 or more years old.15 percent are men, and my dad was one of them, having left the "Train of Life" in 2017 at nearly 101 years old. One could ask, what was his secret? Science tells us that centenarians age slowly, delaying age-related diseases to much later in life. But, the only disease my dad died of was “old age.” He did not have any life-threatening illnesses. So what did dad have in common with other centenarians? He stayed positive. He liked to joke around. He loved seeing people laugh. When difficult situations arose, whether a death in the family or a sibling was ill, he stayed resilient, he adapted, and remained optimistic. Considering the average life expectancy of a man at birth was 78.6 years, my family and I were blessed to have him in our lives, over 20 years beyond his life expectancy.
It is important to honor those who have passed away. It allows us to celebrate a life well lived and share your loved one’s story. I have three opportunities each year to remember my dad whom we affectionally called Frank. His birthday, which is January 5; his death, which is December 18, 2017 and Veterans Day, November 11. By doing this I get to recall his presence vividly, especially when the remembrance is accompanied by photos of him. The relationship I have with my late dad is best defined by the Paulo Coelho quote above that ends with…"We never lost our loved one...We are merely in different rooms.”
Postscript: For anyone who has lost a loved one you’ll find the words that come to life on the youtube clip called, “The Train of Life” with Susan Boyle singing *Auld Lang Syne in the backdrop very inspiring. The Train is a metaphor of how we travel through the different stages of life, meeting new friends, reconnecting with old ones in the same train after so many years. Each year, we say goodbye to those who have left us behind, sharing our dreams, hopes, sorrows, and laughter during those precious moments in our lives. The very essence of this reflection on life is what did we learn from our companions, and our loved ones on this journey. How much did we love, give, cared for, and shared, and, when our time is up, what treasured memories do we leave behind for those still on the train. Cecile and I want to thank those who are on our train, and remember those who departed for the heavenly station.
*Auld Lang Syne: lyrics are in Scots language: can be interpreted as since long ago or for old time’s sake.
The Train of Life:
