Farewell and Safe Journey

In the month of August, there were sad passing of family and friends. My grandma from Malaysia, passed away peacefully. She was 81 years old. Sadly missed by all. An uncle died from liver complication. Sumo, the gentle giant rotti from next door was diagnosed with bone cancer and a dear friend, Ian from Queensland passed away from two brain tumours. Times like this is so sad and I do comtemplate about LIFE and the MEANING of LIFE.

Ian was a gentleman to the end and such a gentle soul. Every year without fail he always gives an update of his life to all his friends together with his Xmas best wishes. And he even wrote a goodbye letter to all his friends. Thanking them for making his life such a wonderful journey.

Here is a copy of his letter that I want to share,

Very Dear Friends
>
>I may not have another chance to write to you as the Doctors have said it
>is a matter of time, definitely weeks and not months and might even be
>days. This letter is coming to you courtesy of Cathy, my daughter, who is
>sending it on my behalf. The cancer has spread and I now have two large
>growths pressing on both sides of my brain. These have, for all practical
>purposes taken away my sight, but not thank God, my ability to think and
>remember all of you.
>
>I have been very privileged in my life to have had, not in the least, some
>marvelous, high-quality friends. For example, this morning a chap rang up
>to say that for the last six weeks he has been spending his time aboard a
>ship tied up to a devastated West African wharf as the electrical engineer.
> This is why I have been unable to contact him for several weeks. Thank
>you all for your friendship. The business part of this letter tells you
>the essential contact details that now apply, but basically it is now
>through my son Ross.
>
>I have had marvelous support from a lot of friends who have contacted me
>and this really does matter and is very much appreciated.
>
>The things that really upset me at present are not so much the unknowns
>facing me, because thanks very largely to John Dunn and George Logan, I
>have regained my faith. It is more those I leave behind that I am worried
>about. But time heals all and I like to think fairly quickly, starting
>with my doggie.
>
>The offer of my friends in the dog park to walk Jasper and to give him the
>extended company of other dogs is very much appreciated. I know it will be
>even more appreciated by him than even by Mavis and me.
>
>May God bless all of you and once again my thanks for your friendship.
>
>Yours sincerely
>Ian

I cried my eyes out when I read his letter. Why is it that we don't value and appreciate things when they are in front of us, but once gone, we missed them so much. This is a wake up call, most definitely. Life is joyous and live it to the upmost and apreciate everything that comes into your life. I want my journey in this lifetime to be the most joyous and to know that when the end does comes......I have lived it with compassion, love, and fullfillment.

Goodbye my dear grandma and friends, may you all have a safe journey to where-ever you are going. Bless you.