I saw a chest go up and down, to the rhythm of a pair of hands trying to revive his heart.

It happened in a second while I was driving.

A poorly parked ambulance led me to turn my head.

Nearby, eyes like mine witnessed the scene.

And it dawned on me.

Someone was dying while life went on for others.

In a second.

In these last few weeks there are several acquaintances around me in deep pain from the loss of a loved one.

A son, a brother, a husband, a father.

And the pain is the same, intense.

And yet, it is clear that death reminds us that life is an impermanent and fleeting journey.

The stories of death and the pain of loss invite us to anchor us to life and live it intensely.

To live honoring those who have left, every day and in each of our actions. }

I pray for that heart I saw stop beating and for people who grief the departure of a loved one.