Learning Life

How many times have we heard it said that we don't know what we have till it's gone? Does that apply to every one, or just those that have never really lost?

I'll speak for myself ( and one other*) and say that I always know what I have, even before I lose it. I know what's beside me, behind me, and, naturally, right in front of me. 

But perhaps this awareness is only instilled in us through our experiences. 

The more I speak of my father, the more I realize how drastically I have been effected by losing him. Literally, every aspect of my life has changed since he's been gone.

Losing a loved one takes us all down a similar path. It's terrifying, painful, emotional, angry, confusing, and so very frustrating. 

But, I think that after the dust starts to settle, and the whirlwind has passed, the path splits in front of us. 

To say to go to the left, is to say you choose grieving, self pity, anger, sadness, and sorrow. 

To go to the right, is to choose understanding, acceptance, peace, love, and compassion for the life that you knew, and the life that you still have to carry on.

I realize that he has shaped an outlook on life for me I couldn't learn from any experience other than the tragic heartbreak of losing him. 

I chose the right path, and I have learned life through death. 

I'll cherish him forever for teaching me more than he ever knew he could.