A Love Stronger Than Death

A coworker and friend of my husband's asked his help (and mine by association) to put the following letter on "social media".  I've only met him a time or two, and unfortunately never had the opportunity to meet his wife.  But, I am honored to celebrate his love and her memory with him.  I pray that at the end of my life, the love of those I have left behind will tell you everything you needed to know about me, as you see here...

I MISS MY SWEET MARY LAVON

          Six weeks before she passed away, on our 49^th anniversary, we said our vows for a second time by getting married again.   

After several years, I decided to move to a smaller home.  In this process, I came across a letter that a dear friend of ours had sent to her.  I shared a copy of the letter with each of my three children.   I have shared this letter with many people since then.  It’s been three and a half years since she has gone to be with our Lord and I would like to share this letter with everyone.

 

Mary Lavon Terzian:  Life Lessons

August 4, 2011

Dear Mary Lavon, 

As we grow older, we tend to reflect back on our lives and recognize those who impacted us the most.  My life has been so full.  I have a great family, great friends and live in a great country.  I have lived in and travelled to many parts of the world and met many people.  However, few have touched my life the way you have.  Even though I have learned many of life’s lessons, it takes a special friend like you to remind me to live by them. 

Here are some of those most important to me: 

You reminded me to be strong and true to my Faith and to be a good Christian.

You reminded me of the importance in having good friends and how to be a good friend. 

You reminded me of the value in surrounding myself with possessions that mean a lot to me and make me smile. 

You reminded me that those you love most can cause you the most pain. 

You reminded me to the importance of being honest, direct and having strong convictions. 

You reminded me to face life’s difficult and painful challenges with dignity, style and grace. 

You reminded me of the skill it takes to being both interested and interesting. 

You reminded me that some who think they have the most actually have the least. 

You reminded me it is ok to not like or be liked by everyone. 

You reminded me to not trust everyone.  Some people do not have your best interest at heart. 

You reminded me of the importance of being a lady, being polite and having good manners.

 

You reminded me how important it is to be dependable.  I can always count on you. 

You reminded me of the beauty of nature and to enjoy the simple things in life.  

You reminded me of the importance of family, even though they can present you with some of life’s most difficult and painful challenges. 

You reminded me that everyone is worth knowing.  You learn something from everyone you meet.  It’s up to me what to do with that knowledge. 

You reminded me of the importance of surrounding myself with people who will enhance the quality of my life and not drag me down with them.

You reminded me it is more important to be wise than it is to be smart. 

You reminded me we can all make a difference in someone’s life. 

You reminded me to be realistic and not always idealistic. 

You reminded me that money does not buy class.  Being able to acclimate to any situation and how you make people feel gives you class. 

You reminded me of how much fun shopping can be. 

You reminded me how to tease, be teased, to laugh at yourself and to keep a good sense of humor.  We have truly had many good laughs and good times. 

You reminded me that when someone important in my life passes, take time to grieve but celebrate the good times we shared. 

You reminded me to enjoy the good days. 

You reminded me of the value in being loyal, to defend those you love and respect. 

You reminded me to live life to the fullest.  Choose my battles carefully.  There will be regrets but learn from them. 

But most importantly, you reminded me that just by being a good person, staying young at heart, being open to new experiences and being true to yourself makes life worth living.

Your contributions to my life have truly enhanced what was already good.

How blessed we all are that you are in the world.
How blessed I am to call you my friend.     

Always, 

Tee

PS  “The Porch” will always be filled with your beautiful Spirit.