The author of the book of Ecclesiastes says there is a time to live and a time to die. I know that humans are mortal. There comes a time when each of us will leave our human body. Some people die at a young age as children. Others live for many decades on this earth. When it happens to a loved one, however, it always seems too soon.
It certainly wasn’t my time for my husband to go. We had more goals to set and more dreams to live. We were suppose to become the cute gray-haired couple still holding hands as we went for walks. He was not “old” enough to pass away. We were not finished living our biggest dream with one another, the one we’d prayed for and risked everything for, the one we had only just begun living. Our life together on this earth came to an end sooner than either of us had expected. We were one of those couples who enjoyed spending a lot of time together. We often worked together and we played together. We even believed we would die together.
But, really, anytime would never have been the “right” time, even if we lived to be a hundred years old and married for decades. No matter how old he may have been or how many years we may have been married, it would still be too soon.
There is some level of comfort in what the author of Ecclesiastes writes, though. There is a time for everything, including a time to die. If it really was his time, then there truly was nothing I could do to keep him here longer. No amount of caregiving or prayer or strength of faith would extend his life here. And believe me, we did pray, and we had unwavering faith, and I cared for him every moment of every day and night during his illness.
If he had fulfilled his purpose on this earth, then he did so to the best of his ability. Even more than he or I knew at the time. He left a legacy through his art, his kindness, his humor, and through his joyful spirit. He touched many lives in ways he never even knew of. After my social media announcement that he had died, I received messages from people worldwide. I discovered how he had inspired people to take the risk to live their biggest dreams, to enjoy indulging in their artistic talent, and to “live” life as best as they could to the fullest.
He certainly was a positive force in my life. He had given me love and adoration like I’ve never had before. As people over the years have shared their own memories of him, I learned that he had a significant influence on others. He was a humble and genuine guy, so I’m certain that he never knew how impactful his words and stories and kindness were. I am thankful for the years he shared with me and the memories’ we made together.
If there is, indeed, a time for everything and a season for every activity, then we should 
enjoy the moments and do the best we can while we are here. To live with purpose helping to make the world around us a better place, whether it is within our own family, to one person or to thousands of people. We may inspire or encourage others in ways that we will never know about in this lifetime, no matter how small or big.
The death of a spouse or other loved ones can make us aware that each of us is here for a season. It is up to us to “live” life in the moments and pour out every ounce of gifts and talents that we each are given..
Photo credits: Pixabay, Pixabay, geralt
About Carmen Myrtis-Garcia
Carmen Myrtis-Garcia has faced her fears head-on while snorkeling the Great Blue Hole of Belize despite her phobia of the ocean, ziplining above a jungle canopy even though she is afraid of heights, walking barefoot across red-hot coals at a firewalking event, or moving alone to a foreign country. She does not consider herself brave, just curious.
The hardest challenge she faced was the suffering and death of her husband, Michael, to pancreatic cancer. Faith, prayer, and community got them through three stays in the hospital in a Third World country 3000 miles from family. Michael died in 2015 following an emergency trip back to Colorado just 3 years after they began living their long-planned for Dream on a little Caribbean Island.
Carmen is a published fiction and non-fiction writer. She is a contributor to Chicken Soup for the Soul and author of Land of Grief; Hope for the Widow’s Journey (devotional; release spring 2025). She is founder of Hope for the Widow’s Journey (private FB group) and Faith-Filled Widows (public FB), and her blog Thoughts-in-Grief. Her mission is to assist over one million widows to live life forward with hope, faith, and healing through her writings, podcasts, workshops, and grief mentoring.
She is the proud mother of two sons and a daughter-in-law and “neena” to two adorable grandchildren. She resides in Colorado and Belize and wanders at times when her gypsy spirit tugs at her.