Love is Stronger than Death … how love is timeless and forever
My Dad died when I was 22. He was in hospital when I was young and my parents divorced. When I was 13, he was back in my life and we’d meet sometimes on Sunday afternoons.
I was 35 when I pulled out some old photos – the ones at the beach with tiny tot me and him with a silly Dad grin. Another snap, I am taking the photo and he is smiling at me. I remember a music concert and him tapping his foot so everyone nearly fell off their seats with Dad bouncing us around, lovin’ the music.
I look back at his life and see great courage and perseverance through enormous adversity. He was enthusiastic and loved life, was excited to see me and really listened. He walked his talk and encouraged many others.
I see myself in his genetic code and spirit passed on to me somehow. I don’t have memories of sitting on his knee as a child. I have searched for his character and see his persistence reflected in my life – a great strength and annoying as well – to keep going – forcing myself back onto my feet. His enthusiasm and living a free-spirited life have grown like seeds, firmly planted, working their way into my life.
One night, reading my favourite book, these words spoke to me. “I believe that Love is stronger than death” and realised although I couldn’t talk to my Dad, he still goes on. Like he’s “on holidays on an island and there’s no phone”. But the memories of what he would say and how he thinks – it’s a part of me.
*When my Stepfather, Alan, passed away, I recall walking into the hospice room where he was lying on the bed and witnessing the very physical act of his spirit leaving his worn out body, something I had never seen before. I felt an unexplainable, tangible presence of his personality and spirit still in the room with us. It is a picture simply remembered of my Stepfather’s spirit leaving a container which was past its usefulness and so left behind as he journeyed on.
I have not lost my Dad or his love. It’s in my heart and his face – blurred with time now – smiles at me. I know what his love feels like on the inside and live in the circle of his love and there is peace in knowing out in the great somewhere he is smiling.
So if someone loved by you – a friend, someone you feel close to, a mum, dad or stepfather, a sister or brother, a partner or your one true love – has passed away from this life, you have not lost them – they are just “away from the phone” – but you know exactly what they would say, what their love feels like, their laughter, their smile and how it feels when they listen to you.
Take heart, for the love and laughter between you is not gone – it is still there and it is timeless for both of you.
You see
Love truly IS stronger than death♥
(Story by Bev Dowdell published in the Sunshine Coast Daily News (“SCD”)16 September 2006 on the passing of Steve Irwin, Croc Hunter and Wildlife Warrior. The paragraph and words marked * were added in to the story later by me (Bev) for our website.
Thanks to Janine Hill at the Sunshine Coast Daily News for her support in publishing the story as originally written by me and without any editing by SCD prior to publication.
Our own personal motivation was simply to help the grieving adults and especially the young kids who needed a light of hope and promise during a very difficult time.)