Finding joy and comfort after the death of a loved one

For most people death is something that invokes fear, sadness and the idea that life is over and they will never be the same. The idea of a loved one passing away is such a devastating idea that many talk about in hushed tones so as not to bring it on their family.

What if they are wrong? What if you are wrong? What if death is actually the beginning of a new life, or a funeral the celebration of a life – instead a somber moment.

With all due respect, funerals are sad, and the loss of a loved one is heartbreaking – but if you step back and think of the person, what would you see? Would they be telling you to stop crying and start laughing? Just because they have passed on does not that mean they are gone from our hearts and minds?

I attended a funeral a couple years ago and the reception afterwards. It was a young man I knew; he had a young family and had passed quickly after the discovery of cancer. At the reception it was an amazing scene – it was a party! While he was missed greatly, his young daughter would not know her father except through stories, they were celebrating his life. There was music, dancing, stories, and more than enough food, everything he had enjoyed in his life.

Death, unfortunately, also brings people together. Family members not seen in years suddenly appear at the death of a relative. Why? But, why do we wait for death to bring us together with those we care about the most? All too often we tell ourselves that I’ll talk to them tomorrow, I’ll go visit next week – I’m too busy today. Did you ever want to take back a mean word, but were too stubborn, only to never get the chance? For some it may be guilt, while others a sense of duty.

Tell those you love that you care about them everyday. Watch your words so you do not have to live with the fact that you were never able to say you were sorry. Tomorrow is not a guarantee for any of us.

While death and the loss of a loved one is sad, remembering them in life is a comfort and they will know that you remembered them as they were, not how they died or what wasn’t done while they were here.

We never know when the time will come. It could be driving down the street and having an accident. It could be a sudden illness that was not expected, it could be anything…but it is final. Live your life every day and in death you will leave a legacy a peace with your loved ones – something they can hold on too and smile.

Politics Factzone: The truth about Kim Jong Il Kim Jong Il, the leader of the free world, has decided to move on to more fertile grounds, leaving with us just the memories of 8-color rainbows, singing Korean women and couple of nuclear weapons. But who was this man whose next ambition would have been to get the next Nobel Peace prize? Here are just a few facts you should know about. more Top 5 Conspiracy Theories Related to John F. Kennedy's Assassination 26.Aug 2011 Since just after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, conspiracy theories abou...read ISRAEL KEEPING GHADDAFI AFLOAT 10.Mar 2011 ...read Glen Beck Is NOT the Anti-Christ! 10.Mar 2011 Hurtful and fiery rhetoric is now media’s default setting! This slippery and m...read Recipe for A REVOLUTION! (10 easy steps - try not to get burned!) 28.Feb 2011 Rebellion is cooking in the air. People are mad as hell, and not going to take...read THE ASSANGE CASE. CIA INTERFERED WITH SWEDISH LEGAL PROCESSES EXTREME RIGHT POLITICS A DANGER TO EUROPEAN UNITY THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY. OUT OF TOUCH, OUT OF FOCUS, OUT OF CREDIBILITY AND HOPEFULLY, OUT OF THE DOOR Opinion World governments charged with criminal negligence (in response to Megaupload case) EARTH (thecheers.org) - Federal authorities of the universe have charged the governments of all the countries in the world as well as the operators actually in power in these countries with operating a criminal enterprise, the Galaxy warriors announced Today. more The Great OSCARS 2011 – or so it would seem 5.Mar 2011 So, how exciting......a morning off, the Academy Awards. I wish I could say the...read Top 7 Expensive Bordellos. Prostitution: Shakedown, Tier Down, and Priced Out 31.Jan 2011 According to a report of the Washington DC-based US Department of State, The Ph...read The Great Secret and Reason for the JFK Assassination 11.Oct 2010 The great question is why the great secret? On June 4 1963, President Kennedy s...read Don't Do it! The 3 Worst Times to Get Tattoos 4.Oct 2010 As a general rule, tattoos gotten after 2 am are a bad idea. But in a bigger pi...read

Travel Travel Warning 13 September 2010 - DO NOT TRAVEL TO IRAN 13.Sep 2010 TRAVELWISE has been watching the situation in Iran for some months in relation ...read more TRAVELWISE TRAVEL ADVISORY 5th June 2010. DO NOT TRAVEL TO ISRAEL. 5.Jun 2010 Given the recent incident whereby the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, used...read TRAVELWISE. 16 APRIL 2010. EUROPEAN TRAVEL ALTERNATIVES 16.Apr 2010 Travelwise issues the following advice in relation to cancelled flights to, fro...read TRAVELWISE 6 APRIL 2010. AUSTRALIAN AIR TRAVEL. THE BEST WAYS TO TRAVEL BY AIR IN AUSTRALIA. 5.Apr 2010 Regular readers might have seen and read the various advisory and no-fly notice...read TRAVELWISE 2 APRIL 2010. QANTAS. 2.Apr 2010 Some concerns have been raised in relation to some of the maintenance practices...read Sport No Payoff From the Playoffs $16.50 will Get Anyone in the Hall Mr McGwire Stupid Athlete Tricks Technology Think Big! Think the World's Largest International Trade Show Top 9 cool laptop accessories for laptop geeks Twittering: I'm not that interesting Cheers Jesus' Answering Machine Brown Couch or twelve midgets in the town square How To Be Happy Drugged Out Saturday Nights Muslim Decapitation: Bad, or Simply Misunderstood?