I have been blessed to have suffered greatly the loss of others who preceded me in death. You too may be blessed to survive and carry on following the passing of a loved one. Sometimes I don’t know why I survived while they passed. Then I realize that it is I who must carry on in tribute to them, to continue their work, blessing family, neighbors, the greater community, and the world. In this way, their legacy continues to grow.
When you have loved someone deeply and intensely, you can experience a soul-crushing sorrow for your loss of them. In a sense, a part of you dies with them, but also at that moment, a part of you is born, inspired by the memory of them that carries their beingness. This is a part of them that resonates inside of you at their vibration, which is different than yours, and you expand in consciousness and awareness.
It is not unusual to try and second-guess the state of affairs, asking why he or she passed and not you. You might have gladly taken his or her place in passing because you so highly regarded their life’s path and mission. And maybe, you thought their potential was greater, or that yours was lesser in some way. And, yes, losing him or her, as tragic as it may have been, was also a part of his or her mission. This is the point where their legacy can live on beyond the scope of one life.
If a part of this person who has passed was birthed inside of you on their passing, then their ministry becomes a part of your ministry. If you accept the responsibility of having been gifted the honor of carrying on their work, then you are blessed.
It is up to you to embrace the blessing of this gift as a part of you and your work if you feel called to do so in memory of this person who you have respected and loved deeply. At this moment you realize that it is you who have been selected to carry on on their behalf, to see that their work does not cease with their passing but continues to grow.
You appreciate their contribution to the world, maybe more than anyone else could, and others may not even be able to understand your cognizance of this person’s ministry. You feel the congruency of this information inside you as it resonates so harmoniously with that part of him or her that was born within you at the time of his or her loss, as you realize that you were chosen.
Yes, there is still you. The you that suffers greatly in the loss of him or her who has passed. And there will be others who will not comprehend the deepness of your connection or the depth of your sorrow, but they will notice your resolve to carry on the work.
Your commitment to continue to honor and express sorrow over a long period of time may be perceived by others as excessive grief and they may mention concern about your wellbeing, thinking that this is your resistance to let go, get on with your life, or potential mental illness. But this is nothing of the sort. It is only an expression of their ignorance, so do not judge them for that. Love them in tolerance, thank them for their concern, assure them that you are well, and continue to honor the work.
They might not even notice that you have picked up the gauntlet in proxy of him or her who has passed, but you do, and you pick up where he or she may have left off.
Their work becomes your work, as you continue your work in harmonious tandem with theirs and your life’s work takes on a new revitalization with deeper meaning and purpose. This is your blessing, in honor of them, and to your own honor as well, as you choose to do this great work, even greater work than you might have done on your own.
We are empowered by those whose life and work we endear and honor with our resolve to continue their work and make it a part of our personage, who we are in the world. The memory of them is sacred, and as hard as it might be to have to go on without them, we do.
We do this, in honor of them, for a better world.