Should I write this or not.
I agonized over whether I should comment about this news story for quite a while for obvious reasons and then I decided to go with a shortened version so I could give a thought at the end. (Try not to cry.)
The story from AP News went like this: (Abbreviated)
"Howard" did us a great favor by not letting us know when our time is up, and if Kim went during one of the happiest moments of her life, then none of us could ask for much better.
That's not to say it's not devastating for her family, and especially her husband of 1 hour.
That's where the real tragedy lies, but then it's always the one's left behind that really do the suffering.
I will give two quick examples. When my father died it was a Labor Day weekend and mom and dad had spent a few quite days together in the garden under beautiful late summer weather.
On the Monday afternoon he complained that he didn't feel too well.
My mother asked if he wanted to go to the hospital to get checked and to her surprise he said yes!
She drove him to emergency and dropped him off at the front door while she parked the car!
When she got back 1 minute later there was my father, dead on the sidewalk from a heart attack.
We were naturally devastated, and with the shock of such a sudden death I vaguely remember going on a four day drunk to try and get it out of my mind.
I didn't sober up till after the funeral, but weeks later after much deliberation and contemplation, I came to the realization the my dad was one lucky guy.
He had lived happy and healthy into his seventies, and then died a quick and painless death!
That my friends is the most any of us can hope or pray for.
My wife, on the other hand, has terminal Lymphoma and she almost died once already about 10 months ago.
This is a strange disease that leaves the victim and the family hanging in the air because you don't know if she is going to live another couple of years or another couple of weeks. The strain of not knowing is incredible and you get to the point where you just cope the best you can and take that old "one day at a time!"
Each of us has to face our own death alone, as the old saying goes, and the best any of us can hope for is a quick and easy death.
I personally hope I go like my uncle, who died peacefully in his sleep..... not screaming in terror like his passengers.
Your humble servant;
Allan W Janssen
Allan W Janssen is the author of the book The Plain Truth About God (What the mainstream religions don't want you to know!) and is available at the web site www.God-101.com
Visit the blog "Perspective" at http://God-101.blogspot.com
The story from AP News went like this: (Abbreviated)
Kim Sjostrom wanted a real-life version of the film "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," which played in the background as friends fixed her hair and makeup before her own marriage ceremony.Now the point I want to make is this! Don't feel too bad for Kim because she died happy!
But less than an hour after she and Teddy Efkarpides were wed, Sjostrom crumpled in her husband's arms during a Greek song that means "Love Me."
At 36, Sjostrom was dead from heart disease.
During the couple's first dance, Sjostrom complained of being lightheaded. Efkarpides thought his wife, a diabetic, needed sugar, but she collapsed.
Wedding guests, paramedics and doctors at a nearby hospital were unable to revive her.
She had a previous cardiac episode in her 20s and was a poster child — literally — for juvenile diabetes, relatives and friends said.
Efkarpides recalled seeing the poster featuring her on New York subways.
"Howard" did us a great favor by not letting us know when our time is up, and if Kim went during one of the happiest moments of her life, then none of us could ask for much better.
That's not to say it's not devastating for her family, and especially her husband of 1 hour.
That's where the real tragedy lies, but then it's always the one's left behind that really do the suffering.
I will give two quick examples. When my father died it was a Labor Day weekend and mom and dad had spent a few quite days together in the garden under beautiful late summer weather.
On the Monday afternoon he complained that he didn't feel too well.
My mother asked if he wanted to go to the hospital to get checked and to her surprise he said yes!
She drove him to emergency and dropped him off at the front door while she parked the car!
When she got back 1 minute later there was my father, dead on the sidewalk from a heart attack.
We were naturally devastated, and with the shock of such a sudden death I vaguely remember going on a four day drunk to try and get it out of my mind.
I didn't sober up till after the funeral, but weeks later after much deliberation and contemplation, I came to the realization the my dad was one lucky guy.
He had lived happy and healthy into his seventies, and then died a quick and painless death!
That my friends is the most any of us can hope or pray for.
My wife, on the other hand, has terminal Lymphoma and she almost died once already about 10 months ago.
This is a strange disease that leaves the victim and the family hanging in the air because you don't know if she is going to live another couple of years or another couple of weeks. The strain of not knowing is incredible and you get to the point where you just cope the best you can and take that old "one day at a time!"
Each of us has to face our own death alone, as the old saying goes, and the best any of us can hope for is a quick and easy death.
I personally hope I go like my uncle, who died peacefully in his sleep..... not screaming in terror like his passengers.
Your humble servant;
Allan W Janssen
Allan W Janssen is the author of the book The Plain Truth About God (What the mainstream religions don't want you to know!) and is available at the web site www.God-101.com
Visit the blog "Perspective" at http://God-101.blogspot.com
Labels: death, sad stories
posted by Allan W Janssen | 1:10 p.m.
5 Comments:
great article
and very true it is those who are left that suffer
I think that each of us knows at least one person who has a broken heart of a loved one's loss very early in life. My sister is one.
I read this yesterday. And yes it must be devestating to the family, I mean I can't even imagine. But, she died at was probably at the happiest moment of her life. They can take some comfort from that can't they eventually?
Allan,
Interesting piece but I almost didn't read it. In Gmail I get two sentences of preview of your post. Your first two sentences told me nothing about your content. FYI.
Tom, first of all....love your music;-) You need to subscribe because two sentences sometimes isn't enough although I can promise you that this blog might entertain you, it might frighten you, it might disgust you or it might make you think but it will NEVER be boring.
P.S. Tell your friends
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