There is one indisputable fact of life  - death comes upon us all. A fact that is usually avoided by most of us until we are forced reluctantly to take a good hard look at it. It is more often the case that we distract ourselves with the pleasures and problems of everyday living; carefully avoiding the idea that one day it will all be over. Our lives will eventually become just a distant memory to those left behind. Without the gift of foresight, it is impossible to predict how death will come or how we will face it. In my experience, death has been visited upon members of my family in a variety of unexpected and usually unpleasant ways. The most difficult ones to bear are always those who die whilst still young. Such an awful tragedy to see life drain out of someone who has so much ahead of them. But mostly death creeps up on us as our bodies gradually age and wither. My mother's death was a long, drawn out process where we grieved for the woman she once was as dementia insidiously took hold of her person and finally her body. My dad and my father-in-law, however, both suffered little as the suddenness of their heart attacks quickly whisked them from this life to the next.

For the last twenty years my wonderfully capable and independent mother-in-law has lived alone in a two storey house on 5 acres in the country. She has maintained her home diligently and she has managed a full and busy social life revolving around her church and her community. But now, it seems, her time has arrived. She was diagnosed with multiple secondary cancers recently and her life is now slowly ebbing away. I guess everyone reacts differently to such news but the way she has responded has been nothing short of inspiring. Acceptance and peace!

Acceptance... What a wonderful blessing to be able to say as she did when she first found out... " I am satisfied with my life. I have done everything I have wanted to do." That is not to say, she has not had difficulties and tragedies but she has known contentment in it all. She has not traveled the world extensively but has deep roots in the community where she was born - having always lived in sight of South Brother Mountain. She and her husband worked together on the farm, raised a family and enjoyed being part of an extended family, community and Church. A simple life really by today's standards.

Peace ... because she is not afraid of death. She knows Jesus Christ has conquered death and He is waiting for her on the other side. I used to wonder about her faith - it seemed to be just a traditional social ritual. But now I see how her trust in God has been there all the time. It has been the backbone of her life, the place from which her values have been derived and the source of love, strength, endurance and patience throughout the years.

So as she prepares to leave us, we have the opportunity to say goodbye to her before her final departure and to thank her for the legacy she has passed on, especially to her grandchildren and great grandchildren who will hopefully carry some of her values with them into the future.