I went to a funeral for a friend of mine from high school, it was an emotional day.
This friend was a young father of two beautiful kids and the husband of an amazing wife. He took his own life due to depression. This sad day made me realize how fatal depression can be, and how important it is to recognize it and get treatment for it.
It’s difficult to cope with the deaths of loved ones and I’ve seen too many of my own pass on way too soon. My mother lived a pretty full life at 81 years old. But, my dad passed at 55, my grandmother 73, my sister Le’anne at 41, and my Olympic coach Dave Schultz was killed at only 36.
I have learned to come to terms and accept these deaths by holding on to the good memories that I have with them. Any negative memories that I may have had have been forgotten. I KNOW that they would only want me to remember the good times that we had together. When I die, I know that I want my loved ones to remember the same.
Love brings us all closer together, regardless of whether your loved ones have passed or are still around. So learn to cope with these tragedies by doing what GOD, and your loved ones, want you to do…keep the love that you have for them in your heart….always. Remember the love that they had for you. You will keep them with you for eternity. It’s true!
