CONTINUUM

There is something about the human spirit that is neither bound by time, distance or events. It is eternal. There is a thread that continues to run both before and after we make our appearance. They say that eternity has no ‘time’ and that time is a human construct.?

We never really give much thought to these philosophical concepts in our daily lives. Until our daily lives are suddenly uprooted and we’re experiencing events we never thought that we would ever have to face. ?

The pandemic was one such event. But it’s not that event I want to talk about here. It’s something far more personal, something that created an impact that will never go back to ‘normal’.?

I want to talk about and pay tribute to a life lived, a life lost, a life remembered.?Specifically the life of a young man, dear to me, and his parents who are also dear to me.?

Months ago, when I first made my debut on LinkedIn, I spoke about my best friend and business partner and I told of what an impact he has had on my life. About how he has mentored, encouraged and supported me. About how when I was faced with terminal illness, he was there for me. And afterward, how he encouraged me to do something meaningful which was how Nimbulis was birthed.

A month ago, I heard the devastating news of the sudden, inexplicable death of his and his wife’s son. He simply passed away in his sleep without any discernible cause. Out of the blue.?

Imagine that. Imagine what that feels like. I have some idea because I saw my family struggling to accept that I might soon die. I tried to comfort them and encourage them.?

But here’s the thing. Nothing can prepare for us for the loss of a loved one. Especially if it’s unexpected.?

The only comfort that can be found is thinking about that thread that continues to exist. That subtle presence. That picture in our minds. That memory that cannot dim. It’s a thread that ties us together, even when we are apart. A thread that speaks of life that will never be extinguished.

When I think about my dear friends and what this has meant to them, I know that despite all, the energy of life isn’t something that goes away when our days, or hours in our day, aren’t what we want them to be. As leaders, there are times when we feel that we own the patent on pain.

But, one thing I know about my friends, is that they will treasure each memory, each thought, each reminder of their son.?And because they have practiced a lifetime of gratitude and encouragement, they will approach the future with the same attitude.?I know because my best friend has done this for me for the past 40 years. ?

What I’ve learned as a result, is to be thankful for every blessing. Every opportunity and every person we share life with. Because they are forever in our hearts. That thread is a continuum that never can be erased. I am so thankful for my best friend and his family. For meeting him so long ago. For all the things we share together, his family and mine.?

I would like to help them understand that their son was thankful to share his life with them. I know he would want them to continue to be the people he so loved and very much admired.?It was because of what he learned from them that he was able to see the opportunities of life, the value of encouragement and hope. And now, this is a time when his parents have to apply what they so lovingly taught him.?Treasuring that which is everlasting and the life thread which binds us together through past, present and future.

While my heart breaks because of this tragic loss, my heart is also so thankful for the treasure which I and my family have shared with them and their family and the treasures of sharing still to come.?

#SuddenDeath #Friendship #Life #Eternity