A Part of Me

At times it becomes abundantly clear that life isn’t always fair. As I write this several people in my extended sphere of contacts are confronting the harshest realities of our own mortality. When we reach those inevitable junctures in our lives, some earlier than others, often the only control we have over the situation is how we choose to respond to it. Much of that has to do with how we manage relationships and one of the gifts we can give our loved ones, if we are allowed the opportunity, is the closure they need and deserve. Today, I take the liberty of sharing a poem I was asked to write on behalf of someone with a terminal illness. The goal was to communicate some important feelings of closure in advance while providing a keepsake poem that might still provide connection and comfort at a later time. This is the result, and it has been shared through many similar situations over the years. I hope it may touch a note of comfort in your own life. Also, please feel free to share it with anyone else who might appreciate it for their particular situation. That’s all I’m going to write today, and I’ll let this verse speak for itself.


A Part of Me
A part of me is dying
This fact is looming, close at hand
And overwhelms us to the point
That we can hardly understand
Or even bear to reconsider
Just how fortunate we are
To have known such people in our lives
Who make goodbye so hard
To have known the joy of living
Which some people never find
To have found that life, though fleeting
Was worth the living, and not unkind
Yes, a part of me is dying
But let us not dwell upon
What lies so far beyond control
In time, you'll have to carry on
So please remember that a part of me
Will stay right here with you
Alive and well, within your heart
Through everything you do
There's a part of me you'll always have
That no one can take away
The things we share and understand
Which will last beyond today
But far too soon the time will come
When my life here is through
And the emptiness you feel inside
Will mean I took a part of you
         By Frank Carpenter ©