My friend Dr. Walter Buck posted something on his Facebook Page that must be read, contemplated and understood. What is the meaning of life itself? Could it be really simple such as having faith? Even a single grain of faith? Surely in life we will be tested, tested again and finally one day the ultimate test will come. Will we become bitter in life when our health starts to fail or be grateful for what we still have in life? I choose to be grateful for what I still have even though my body is slowly failing now.

Back to Walter, a friend of his posted the following:

“From Fred Turoff DONE: Gone without understanding, last breath heard, and it’s over. I can’t say this will be my last post for a while, but maybe the last one of real meaning for some time. I love you all! Certainly, in the most difficult moments of life, one recognizes real friends or people who really appreciate us. Unfortunately, some friends often click on “I like,” but in reality they don’t take time to read a status if they see it’s long.
I decided to post this message for a very special person of mine who fought to the end with firmness and energy; who taught me to live every day as if it were the best day; who filled the world with a beautiful smile and a sweet spirit. Now I look to those who will have time to read this post until its end (I believe I may be able to guess the first 5 or so). Cancer is very invasive and destructive to the body. Even after the end of treatment, the body fights with itself, trying to rebuild all of the damage caused by radiation. It’s a very long process. (100% true.)
So please, in honor of a family member or friend who has died, or one still battling cancer, or even someone who has had cancer but now is healed, copy and paste (not share) this message on your page. So I’ll know who read my status, please write “done”.

Walters response: “This is timely and poignant to me at this time as all three friends and family who I traveled to see one last time last October have now passed. One in October, one in November and the last, last Friday. Bruce Warden, who passed in October of stomach cancer, was one of my best friends in high school. My step-father of 54 years passed in November of Parkinson’s Disease. Last Friday, Robert Proffit, a machinist, engine building business owner and my friend for 43 years passed of pancreatic and liver cancer. As Fred Turoff wrote above, these are indeed difficult moments for us all. The best we can do is to make sure that they live in our hearts forever.”.

Me: Sometimes in life our loved ones/friends pass on and they live on in our memories and hearts. I welcome these memories in my life, so many good family members and friends to remember and reflect on the lives they led. They are still with me even as I write this post. I know what the future holds for me, I just hope I will still have the courage to face it head on and not waiver in my faith. All I really need is a single grain of faith.

A family member of mine always signs off on letters/cards with the following saying:  “Love Conquers All“. She lost her daughter at age 15 and she is not bitter about her loss. Her faith and memories keep her daughter alive until they meet again.

Here is a song by Babara Streisand that may heal some broken hearts: