The Final Exit

We all DIE but not all of us LIVE

Few months ago I re-connected with a dear friend I had not seen in the last eight years, maybe more. We communicated regularly on the phone for the past few months and I am grateful that I had that opportunity. He was quite the intellect and conversing with him was always a pleasure. His willingness to always assist and to support a friend was unquestionable. So much so that one day I persuaded him to be a guest on my weekly blog. He agreed and delivered the article titled ‘Coping and Moving Forward’.

I last spoke to him three weeks ago and on 26th June 2011 my dear friend Joseph- Hochstein passed away. He was 77 years young.

Joe, as we fondly called him, had a brilliant mind. He was talented, an avid reader and an exceptional journalist. He also had a ravenous passion for music. Back in the day he had lots of jam sessions (impromptu live music) on his rooftop. He loved life and cared about people. We (friends) and the family will be celebrating his life on that very said rooftop tomorrow (6/7/11) to commemorate his memory.

How precious is life! A gift that was given to us, a gift that should always be cherished and a gift that is just too short, not to mention fragile. The laws of life should never be underestimated and for this reason every day we should give thanks. It does not matter who or what you believe in just give thanks daily and do not take yourselves for granted. We should grasp at it in the most encouraging way, the best way we could.

The final exit for each and every one of us is DEATH. It will always be a mystery but for those of us who remain with the memory of our loved ones we will always have the comfort and the time to reflect on the great times and the sad times that we shared with that person/s giving us a valid outlook on reviewing our own lives.

One friend said it best, “Everybody dies but not everybody lives.” We may not know the time or the hour but our day will come. So I am pleading with you to please LIVE!!!!

Fanga!