On Grief...and the Power of the Human Spirit
I dedicate this post to @mu.shabazz who lost the love of his life through childbirth and now is having to fight his grief in order to raise their new born son.
I can only imagine the immense joy they shared looking forward to and planning their new arrival with hope, aspirations and dreams for the future. Imaging their babies first steps, graduation and wedding day and assuming that they would share these moments, laugh with great joy as their child excelled through each milestone, and celebrate together. Tease him with embarrassing photos when he brought girls around and giggle knowingly at each other.
Then in an instant this future was snatched away due to heartbreaking complications in childbirth, which meant that @mu.shabazz would now have to walk the rest of this journey alone,. No matter how lonely and heartbreaking that would be, he would have to remain strong for his son. Knowing how much the mother of his child would want to be there to witness their sons first smile, first steps and wonder at the would, and having to keep the memory of his wife alive for a son who will never know his mother or how her dreams encapsulated him. We can only hope that she is watching over both of them as they face these challenges together.
The strength of the human spirit is incredible, undeniable and at once unbelievable. You never know exactly how strong you can be until strength is the only option. Giving into the cavernous pain that can accompany the unfairness of life and twist your soul into an eternal question mark serves no purpose but further pain. We pick up the pieces and celebrate life for all that it was, for all that it is and for all that it can be...
Father of the decade, I salute you,
My thoughts are also with Stormin MC, who recently lost his battle to skin cancer. I remember seeing Stormin (a legendary UK grime and Dancehall MC) DJ live at carnival. He gave us the time of ourlives as he shared his. Even though I could see he was unwell his energy was electric and he did not let that stop him. He wore the motto "live each day as if it were your last" like a heart on his sleeve as he later bounced through the crowd. I followed his battle with cancer online, amazed at his fighting spirit., and warmed by his love for his family and friends who he remained strong for.
When he passed, it brought back horrifically sad memories of the close family members and friends I myself had lost to cancer. An indiscriminate, merciless, inconvenient, relentless monster of a disease. I remembered the hurt, the pain, and the cursing the skies with "why's". It hurts even more when someone is cut down in their prime and had so much living left to do, were terrified by death and clinging on to life with everything they had. So many unfinished plans. But time is unforgiving and death is both merciless and merciful to those whose bodies are riddled with the pain of disease.
A painful reminder then to look after your health, avoid all unnecessary exposure and ingestion of toxins, eat and live healthily, and if something doesn't feel or look right get it checked out and make a nuisance of yourself until the doctors run the right test and get to the root of whats wrong. If you can afford to, take out private health care and insurance as you never know when you may need it, and government healthcare systems such as the UK NHS are being ripped apart for profit.
My thoughts are with family & friends and everyone who has ever lost someone they love in such tragic circumstances. They live on in your hearts and memories, should you ever need them you will find them there. Remember them with a smile and with fondness. Their legacy is immortal and lives on through the lessons they taught you. We celebrate life.
