After experiencing the death of a loved one a handful of times over a 20 year period, three friends passed away in less than a year and a half.

It's been a painful experience and by the last one, I had enough and went up to the room my partner was in, crying, and while I threw the phone from which I got the news, I said, "I can't do this anymore. It's too much."

Grief feels unbearable.
Grief feels like it will never end.
Grief feels like we're alone.

But we can and cope with the pain.
But the pain lessens over time.
But we all experience grief and we're not alone.

Here are three poweful lessons that the grief of loss has taught me...

We never know when the last time will have with someone. Cherish it. Be present with them. Tell them you love them. Forgive them. Make up with them. Who ever it is,

Everyday alive is a gift.

There's no "too young to die"
There's no "dying before our time"
There's no "shouldn't have died so early"

Whether we live until we're 122 or only a few moments after birth, or anytime in between, no matter the cause, when our time is up, it's when it supposed to happen. That's the reality. It's painful, but it's the truth.

With this change in perspective, acceptance becomes easier and with it, the healing can happen sooner. Through the healing, our ability to help others in holding space for them, in understanding and in hope for brighter days.

We don't talk about death enough. Perhaps its' because it's scary to consider our own mortality or because we're afraid that by speaking of it, we'll manifest it into our lives (The Secret gone bad?).

If we talk about who we lost more, we could open opportunities to feel our pain and in processing of our grief and emotions, we heal.

If we talk about the fact that we will die eventually, we'll be able to appreciate our own lives and the lives of our love ones more; we'll revere life more.

If we talk about the brevity of life more, we'll waste less of the uncertain and limited amount of time we have to experience this animation of our bodies and mysterious consciousness that we experience.