31/12/2021
Had a little cacao ceremony for myself this morning to reflect on all that’s happened during 2021.
What came to mind strongly was how far many of us are from family and how many did not have the chance to return to NZ (or their country of origin) to say goodbye to dying loved ones. For some, illness/death was sudden and unexpected but for most there was the element of illness progressing slowly over time but with a life expectancy of one or more years. So there was time to see them. From that I reflected on our fear of death. How we don’t want to think about it until it’s staring us in the face and we can no longer ignore it. Why don’t we make that journey to see loved ones while they can still walk and talk, to make memories with them of laughter and joy instead of waiting until they are simply a husk of the person remembered. The final memory of a loved one is everlasting and cannot be unseen/unheard. The guilt felt for not being there, not saying ‘I love you’, for not hugging them while they can still hug you back. To face reality and have the final conversation and acknowledge that you won’t see each other again in this lifetime. This can come from a place of love and celebration of a life lived, a conversation of honesty and authenticity. It can transcend that fear of death. If nothing else, let’s at least video call and have a final laugh together.
