The expected death of a loved one still hurts terribly.
My mother lived with early onset Alzheimer’s disease for over a decade.
She lived in a nursing home with advanced dementia for almost five years.
And she lived on hospice care for two years.
I prepared for her death for years.
I was relieved, of course, to see her suffering end.
And her death did not catch me off guard.
But when she died, it still hurt.
And her absence still hurts today.
The expected death of a loved one still hurts terribly.
When a loved one is dying of cancer, their death still hurts.
When a loved one is dying of heart disease, their death still hurts.
And when a loved one is dying of multiple sclerosis, their death still hurts.
When a loved one is struggling with addiction or depression, their death still hurts.
You prepare for their death for months or years.
You are relieved, of course, to see their suffering end.
And their death does not catch you off guard.
But when they die, it still hurts.
And their absence still hurts today.
The expected death of a loved one still hurts.
The disciples knew Jesus would die.
The disciples knew that Jesus would suffer and die on the Cross.
His mother Mary knew that her son Jesus would suffer and die.
They knew the Resurrection was coming on the third day.
When Jesus died, it still hurt.
But when he died, it still hurt.
The expected death of a loved one still hurts terribly.
A version of this post was originally published April 3, 2021.