Tomorrow is the anniversary of the death of a close friend of mine, one year ago. And today I received the news that a dear friend in another country (a 'penfriend' if you will) had just passed away. Both of them were on my mind during my walk around the old cemetery today (stirring up memories). I stopped for a while at this anonymous grave with the thin layer of ice because it struck me as a good illustration of the fragility of life. There will probably always be some 'double sadness' connected with the last few days of January for me from now on. But at the same time, that sadness is also mixed with much to be thankful for, and worth remembering...
In the end, it's not the years in your life that count.
It's the life in your years.
- Abraham Lincoln
May you live all the days of your life.
- Jonathan Swift
14 comments:
Oh how sad, heart breaking for you, really. Two postcards from me are wending their way to you. Hugs from Terra
I am sorry that you have lost friends recently. It is sad when good friends leave us. We must make good things happen for each day we have left to us.
I'm sure that CJ would have appreciated your quotes. I am very grateful that he led to our friendship.
Both quotes are good ones and fitting for these days we are living in. 2 days ago, # 5 of old friends died, Jim was 91 and to be expected but never is. that is 5 deaths in less than a year, 4 of them in the past 5 months and now my cousin says Hospice is coming in for her husband. he is 82... Bob and I are old as are all our friends. sorry you lost another friend
I'm so sorry! One of the worst parts about getting old is our friends passing. You chose a wonderful photo to illustrate how temporary and fragile life is.
I remember you telling us about your friend, Monica. Time is weird in that way, isn't it - a year can seem a long time and at the same time it can feel as if it was only yesterday, especially if the anniversary is made more poignant by another death around it.
For my family, January always holds two birthdays: My sister's on the 10th and my Dad's on the 31st; we will gather for his birthday and have a meal he would have loved, like we did last year for his first birthday without him.
So sorry for your losses. January is a grief month for me too. I've taken to planting perennials in times of grief so that the plants remind me of my loved ones life and vitality
Thanks Terra. Sometimes it's even harder to grasp the reality of someone being gone when you did not live in the same place. But at least with both my friend G last year and now with CJ there were mutual friends to let me know asap.
Thanks JayCee. Losing friends around one's own age also does tend to be a reminder that one is "not getting younger" oneself...
Graham, so am I ♥ And I would add that between the two of you, you have contributed to many other long-lasting friendships in the Blogworld as well!
Sandra, I'm sorry for your losses, too. However aware we may be of losing friends along the way probably being an unavoidable consequence of living to be old ourselves, I don't think one will ever "get used" to it...
Thanks Ginny. And yes, I'm getting increasingly aware of that lately...
Meike, that seems like a nice tradition to hold on to - and "doable", as you still live in the same city. And you're right about Time - especially The Past often does have a tendency to float about as it pleases! ;)
Thanks Mandy. I can see how planting perennials may be good "grief therapy", if you have a place to do that.
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