Letting Go

One of the great privileges of my job is getting to be present at the end of life. I have been a part of and been a witness to over 100 deaths. At all there are tears shed, sometimes in joy over a life long lived, sometimes in pain over a life cut short. Each of these moments are sacred. Each of these moments are holy.

The other day I was present at a death that I will never forget. This patient had no family, there was no one in the room, no one to call to hold a hand, and no one to shed a tear when a last breath was taken. No one, except for me. As this person's heart rate started to drop, I held a frail hand, looked into this person eyes, and said to them that it was okay to let go. It that moment, time stood still, God was present, a last breath was taken, and a soul was set free. In that moment, the vail between this world and the next was lowered.

I share this because sometimes I think that we get so caught up in the world around us that we forget that we are all the same. I didn't know this person, I didn't know their story, and they didn't know me. However, we were connected. We were connected in our joint humanity. We filled our lungs with the same air, we filled the same room with our presence, and we were created by the same Creator. I let go, in that moment, who I was in order to be present with this person. I let go of my judgement, I let go of my to do list, I let go my personal space to share in that moment.

It's so easy to get caught up in the things of this world that we forget that we are part of something so much bigger. We are part of something bigger then our jobs, our money, our possessions, our identity, our sexuality, and our titles. We are part of creation, we are the created and the creating. We are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. We are made perfectly and loved perfectly by our Creator. Who we are, every single one of us, is connected.

Stop what you are doing right now and look around you. Look at the people around you, look at them closely. What do you notice? What do you see? They too are made in the image of God, just like you. They too are breathing the same air that you are breathing. They too are probably struggling with something right now just like you. Their humanity, is connected with your humanity. They are loved by their Creator, just like you are loved by your Creator.

Rejoice in it! Celebrate it! Let everything go, and dance in it.
We only get one life, so be present in it.