Tell people now that you love them

It happened again…another friend passed away. I guess I half-expected it, as I knew she had cancer, but it was still a shock, and it is still sad.

I do consider myself lucky enough to at least have known about the cancer. She told me about that herself, although not right away. But hey – it is her news to share or not, as she sees fit. I heard someone who had not known she was sick say that people who are dying should let their friends know so that they can say goodbye – I don’t think I agree with that. Or I agree with it if it is what the person wants to do, but I certainly do not feel that it is a requirement. I am not judging on the person who said this – I certainly understand the feeling. However, I think it is important to understand that the person who is dying gets to do it on their own terms.

I have never been dying, so I don’t really know how I will feel when I am. There is a part of me that thinks I may want to be surrounded by lots of friends who love me. And there is another part of me that thinks I may be content to die with a few close loved ones  – maybe some family – around me. I won’t really know until it happens.

I think it is important to remember that neither way is right or wrong. I understand that some people will wish that they had had a chance to let the dying person know how they felt about them. And here’s the thing: we never know how long someone is going to be with us, so it is extremely important to always let people know what we appreciate about them and that we love them.

And I really believe that our loved ones who have passed are still with us, just in another form. So if you didn’t get a chance to say goodbye or tell someone you love them, do it now.