For a few days in the last week my family was spread out across 2,000 miles – Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago. And as I thought about this, I had a sort of revelation: Did the physical separation in any way weaken my love for my family? Did the fact that we weren’t in close physical proximity in any way make me love my family members any less? And the answer was, of course, nope. No way. Absolutely not. And then I thought about the loved ones who have died through the years and realized that death hasn’t stopped me from loving them, either. In fact, even though they’ve moved on, the relationship we created together has continued to grow and blossom and been a positive influence in my life.

As the character Jack Lemmon plays in Tuesdays with Morrie says: “Death ends a life, not a relationship.” (Mitch Albom)

photo by Karen Molenaar Terrell

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8