I'm not sure why i'm compelled to write when I get off the phone with Chance. He's just that kind of guy.
He told me there were a large number of people at the wake yesterday. Of this i'm sure. I have no doubt of how many people Patrick has knowingly or even unknowingly touched during his time on this earth.
Chance was getting upset on the phone while we were talking.
The only thing I could think to tell him, was to not be so hard on himself. He was there on the scene after the fact. He saw the worst of Patrick. But what was important at that time for him to understand is it doesn't matter how we go, the memories stay.
There are some slightly cheesy things that come to my mind while we talked, I told him that that body was no longer Pat. It wasn't. How could it be? He didn't get up and dust himself off and say "Well THAT was one hell of a ride!" That incident allowed him to break out of his cocoon.
I've been apart of a good number of people that left this world. I grew up in a sleepy town with at least 2 generations that I had the pleasure of knowing before they passed on. As a young person, that becomes the experience. I understood at an early age that we are here for a short time and then we move on.
"We are spiritual beings having a physical experience"
You have to have faith to understand that statement, but I'm sure you'll manage.
Once our time is done here, and we can't know when that is, we move on. Although we do leave our loved ones behind they must CELEBRATE the LIFE of that person and cherish the memories.
PLEASE don't be concerned with the how and why. It's a waste of time and dishonors the memory.
Be grateful for them and the time that God deemed you worthy to be there with them while they were here.
This is the way of life, we cannot change it, and it's sad that we try to fight it. Once you are able to open your hearts and minds you will see with different eyes what the truth is. Yes we hurt from their absence but we are thankful they were here with us for as long as they were.