Sunday, August 12, 2007

Love in the time of Death (revised)


I may joke about it often; about me dying, often in the form of a question: “Iiyak ka ba kung namatay ako?” But with all honesty, I am afraid of dying. The fear, I have come to realize, is somewhat rooted on the uncertainty that surrounds death. The afterlife is something that seems too grand to be a reality if you look at it from certain perspectives: truth be told, the most logical thing to conclude is that when we die, that is the end of the story…
My dad was diagnosed with stage 4 Liver Cancer on April 16, 2001, he died May 31, 2001, a month and a half after. Prior to the month and a half before his death, I do not remember any instance where my dad showed any fear of death.
Now that I think about it, he was able to find courage to face death with the help of my of my mom. He got through the pain of cancer the dread of death, because I know that my mom's love for my dad gave him the strength to endure all the pain.
As of now, I may not be as lucky as my dad was, as to have experienced such love in his life here; but I do know that one day I may experience such.
In the end it is love that has the power to defeat death, though not in a physical level, but in a metaphysical one. True Love transcends; that is the very power of love, most especially in the time of death; it has the power to transcend it, it has the power to destroy the dread that death brings, it has the power to give hope, it has the power to make you realize that the spirit carries on.
In a world that tells us that love is not enough, that to be great we have to accomplish so many things; my answer is that realize that in the end, in our own moments of dying, the true measure of all things is how much we have loved, and we find strength in the people who love us...
I know that now, and one day I hope to feel it too…

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