Here is what I found in a newspaper not long after I lost my friend. It still brings tears to my eyes, but comfort as well. Read on...

"Death is nothing. It does not count. I have only slipped away into the next room. Nothing has happened. Everything remains the same-exactly as it was. I am I, and you are you, and the old life we lived together is untouched, unchanged. Whatever we were to each other, that we are still. Call me by the old familiar name. Speak to me the way you used to. Put no difference in your tone. Wear no forced air of sorrow. Laugh at the little jokes that we enjoyed together. Think of me. Pray for me. Let my name be the household word. Let it be spoken without effort and without the ghost of a shadow on it. Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was. There is absolute and unbroken continuity. What is this death but a negligible accident?. Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?. I am but waiting for you somewhere near. All is well."

Author Unknown

That's beautiful Dreamweaver. Very touching!

I am a Stage 3 Lung Cancer Survivor . . . my 'visit' from the 'BIG C' was in 1997 shortly after my younger sister was diagnosed with Breast Cancer . . . TRAUMATIC, or what??

I don't want to get into too many details here and stray from the topic but, needless to say, I did a lot of thinking about dying from the time of diagnosis through the surgery,3 cycles of chemo and 25 treatments of radiation. A total of about 9 months.

My sister was still having treatments when I finished mine, but only for about a week when they discovered that her cancer had spread . . . 18 days after my last treatment, she died!!

This was extremely difficult for me to handle . . . I was overwhelmed with feelings of guilt . . . why her and not me???

One day, I came across the following and it was just as if she was speaking to me:

"Do not stand at my grave and weepI am not there, I do not sleep.I am a thousand winds that blow,I am the softly falling snow, I am the sunlight on ripened grain,I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morn, I am the swift uplifting rush of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry. I am not there. I did not die."

Since that time, I've also lost my Dad to Lung Cancer.

My faith has helped me through this. I'm thankful that Our Maker released them from their pain. I can sense that they are around me most of the time. I believe that I have not accomplished that which was intended for me to do and, so, I still survive!!

Absolutely a GREAT story. One of hope and consolation. Many kudos. Someone in a higher power must have further plans for you!.

This is particularily influencial to me. My friend just lost her 16 year old grandson. He died in his sleep. No answers yet. Lest he be not forgotten, this paragraph says it all.

OSR,

Thank you for sharing your sister's story. Having lost my father to lung cancer 20 years ago, and having read his oncologist's manuscript about lung cancer in 2006, I know how rare your survival is. Perhaps giving hope when the odds are against you is part of your purpose.

Thanks to dreamweaver1950, ottsensesradio, Robin, and all posting here, regarding the often difficult aspect of a loved one's passing. You have written some beautiful words and thoughts to help.

One of my oldest friends told me about a way to honor and remember these beloved friends and family who have passed on.

You create a small tribute place. It can be in a closet,a mantel, on a shelf, wherever, if possible, a private spot works well. Place a candle, a favorite photo of them,and/or memento. When you are missing your loved one, or feeling down, go there, light a candle, and cherish fond photos and good memories of them. I do this in honor of my beloved dad, mom, and brother, and it enables me to continue to feel close to them in heart, mind, and spirit.