Lucky to Love
March 25, 2024
Writer: Eve Collon
Editor: Sonia Walke
Dedicated to Eileen Sheahan and Brady Bambrough
It can’t be her.
It can’t be him.
It can’t be them.
We were all supposed to have one last hug, one last laugh, one last memory.
It isn’t her.
It isn’t him.
It isn’t them.
This agonizing sequence has unfortunately become a familiar loop that stings my mind. This loop deceivingly lulls at times, but combatively escalates at others. I’ve spent a large portion of my year attempting to grasp the reasoning behind why two of the most vibrant souls were prematurely taken from us. No matter how hard I try, I can’t fathom a day when I will understand these immense losses.
Although I’ll always reach for a tangible explanation, nothing will validate the fact that we are no longer graced by your beautifully infectious presences. As strenuous as it has been, fixating on the pain of your losses has helped me absorb the imprints your lives have made on me.
The pain I have endured is a direct reflection of the substantial amount of love that you provided.
The heaviness of your absences is what has led me to appreciate the magnitude of your love.
The sharp pain that we all feel when someone or something is taken from us is a testament to how much we value that subject to begin with. While I wish I never had to learn this lesson, I am a more gracious person after realizing that we are simply lucky to love.
Life, as we know, can be stripped from us instantaneously. We must soak up our loved ones’ company before they are gone. Instead of waiting to feel someone’s impact until after they leave, learn to appreciate it while you have it. Express your gratitude to your friends and family when you feel a rush of appreciation, and make your love known. Laugh often, live freely, and love without hesitation.
When I picture you both, an image appears of two people full of life, with vibrant smiles filling your faces. This world is quieter without the harmony of your laughter and darker without your beaming happiness. For you, I will live with more purpose. I will strive to reach my full potential every day like you did so effortlessly. I will say yes more frequently so that I can create at least half of the noteworthy memories that you both formed in your lifetime. Your twenty-two and forty-nine years of life held so much substance. The continuous celebration of your lives inspires us daily. You both touched more people in your young years than most people do in their entire lifetime.
Everyone that you interacted with was lucky. Lucky to feel welcomed by you, lucky to feel heard, but most importantly, lucky to feel unconditional love. The weight of your spirits is felt far and wide, and your presences infuse us all with hope of a brighter future. Thank you for not only teaching us how to love, but more importantly, that we are lucky to love.
