Fear of Goodbye

“If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so
I never have to live without you." - Winnie the Pooh

Last night Jules and I went to the wake of Jules' cousin, M who died from a stroke. He is in his late 40s. When we went to offer our condolences to his wife, I felt very sorry for her but I didn't know what else to say. Her eyes looked very tired from sleepless nights and there were telltale signs of recent tears. We're not close but I still feel great sympathy for her and her two young daughters, the eldest of which is Jules' goddaughter.

We just saw their family a week earlier in a recent birthday party we attended. Who would have known, that M was going to die soon. Life is shorter than most of us imagine.

Death of a loved one is a frightening thought. After leaving the wake, I told Jules, "Huwag mo ako iiwan ng ganon." (Don't leave me like that.) I just don't think I could live without him. Jules told me that we're lucky to be healthy and alive. That we should always be thankful for things that we easily take for granted. He's right, life is a great blessing by itself and we should thank God each day for keeping our loved ones safe.