It’s always sad to see someone leave. Particularly when you know there’s a pretty good chance that you won’t see them again. Such is the case with a cute couple that lives in our ward.
I have been lucky enough to be her Visiting Teacher for the last couple of years, so I’ve had a chance to get to know her a little better than I probably would have other wise. I think that’s the reason we were invited. That and the fact that my husband was Sunday School teaching companions with her husband.
They are just a very young couple with one small daughter. They’ve been living in a basement apartment of another couple in our ward. This couple decided to have a little going away party for them tonight. They have a big beautiful backyard with a swimming pool, so it made it extra fun for the families with young children.
Good byes are never really a fun thing….. but I was grateful that we had a chance to actually visit with them and wish them luck before they go. So often you never get a chance to do that with someone. Often they leave quickly or unexpectedly and you never have a chance to say goodbye.
Isn’t that the truth with many things in life? How often would you be willing to throw a big farewell party for someone if you knew they were leaving and you wouldn’t be able to see them again. At least not in this life. Not that you would have a party to celebrate a persons death, but how about a chance to say ‘thank you’ or “I love you” or a myriad of other things? When a person is taken unexpectedly, we often wish we would have another chance to talk to them. Though it’s not fun to see another person suffer before they die, sometimes you have the chance to spend that time with them and let them know how much they are loved before they move on.
Perhaps that’s another reason to celebrate each day with joy and love…. To make sure that we take the time to tell those important people in our lives how much we love them. Make each day a farewell party so that when the day does come, there will be no regrets! We too often take things for granted and forget how precious life really is! Some of the words to “In The Living Years” feels a little appropriate right now:
I wasn’t there that morning
When my Father passed away
I didn’t get to tell him
All the things I had to say
I think I caught his spirit
Later that same year
I’m sure I heard his echo
In my baby’s new born tears
I just wish I could have told him in the living years
Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It’s too late when we die
To admit we don’t see eye to eye
I’m grateful for the chance to say goodbye to the Riley’s tonight. I’m grateful to the Hemminways’ for so graciously providing that opportunity. But I’m particularly grateful for the chance it gave me to reflect on the importance of making sure the people I love know that I love them while they are ‘in the living years’! Thanks to all of you who have touched my life in any way, shape or form. Every moment is put here for us to grow! Thanks for being a part of it.
I am Grateful! How are you?
I Am Grateful! How Are You? 