This is a season some people get married and others graduate from school. This season is also a season of death since people die at all seasons, including spring and summer. This past week, some people we know finished their journey on this side of heaven and crossed over to the other side. And it is sometimes tough to try to comfort those who lost their loved ones. I mean, what do you say to them? “Don’t worry, you will join them soon?” Or, “It is okay, we all are going to die anyways?” I think sometimes it is better to just sit next to them quietly.

While my Berhan and I were sitting to comfort a family who lost their loved one last week, one woman came in and began crying, expressing her love to the deceased one. Sitting there listening to her, a thought came to my mind: Did the deceased ever hear all these loving words from this person when he was alive? Is she repeating what she already told him while he was still alive or is she expressing her love now?

Of course, I immediately personalized the issue; and I felt like I didn’t express my love enough to my Berhan. So, I slowly stretched my hand to hold Berhan’s hand. He quietly held my hand back. In his ears, I whispered, “My Love, I know I already told you how much I love you and everything but I really want to say this now: I deeply love you; you mean a lot to me; you are better for me than this life; and – – -”

At this point, Berhan thought I lost my mind. My tears chocked my throat. He squeezed my hand and whispered, “Stop!”

There is nothing like death which puts everything into perspective. It is a reminder that, we all are going to die one day. But the question is not whether we die or not; but whether we choose to live in love or not. And the follow up question will be: Whether or not we express our love as often as we can to those who matter the most to us. Sure, we need to express our love in action too as the Bible says (1 John 3:18), but it is also good to take time to stop whatever we are doing to say, “I love you very much! You mean the world to me,” because we never know when we are going to take our last breath. Life will never be perfect anyways. But life can come closer to perfection when we choose to love and express our love regardless of our feelings and emotions because love is a decision and a commitment we make. And it is good sometimes to be reminded by “death” to renew our vow, decision and commitment to love. ///