When my husband died, because he was so famous and known for not being a believer, many people would come up to me-it still sometimes happens-and ask me if Carl changed at the end and converted to a belief in an afterlife. They also frequently ask me if I think I will see him again.
Carl faced his death with unflagging courage and never sought refuge in illusions. The tragedy was that we knew we would never see each other again. I don't ever expect to be reunited with Carl.
But, the great thing is that when we were together, for nearly twenty years, we lived with a vivid appreciation of how brief and precious life is. We never trivialized the meaning of death by pretending it was anything other than a final parting. Every single moment that we were alive and we were together was miraculous-not miraculous in the sense of inexplicable or supernatural.
We knew we were beneficiaries of chance. . . .
That pure chance could be so generous and so kind. . . .
That we could find each other, as Carl wrote so beautifully in Cosmos, you know, in the vastness of space and the immensity of time. . . .
That we could be together for twenty years. That is something which sustains me and itβs much more meaningful. . . .
The way he treated me and the way I treated him, the way we took care of each other and our family, while he lived. That is so much more important than the idea I will see him someday. I don't think I'll ever see Carl again. But I saw him. We saw each other. We found each other in the cosmos, and that was wonderful.
β Ann Druyan
Adi Pocha's "My Blog This Friday": THE LADY WHO DID NOT LOOK AWAY. Please read, and share with your groups, if you like ππ»π
https://t.co/HDCTKvkvKF
Adi Pocha's "My Blog This Friday": THE GOOD MORNING ROAD. Please read, and share with your groups, if you like ππ»ππ»π
https://t.co/TQx4hh65FQ
Adi Pocha's "My Blog This Friday": FOLDED HANDS AND GRATITUDE. Please read, and share with your groups, if you like ππ»ππ»
https://t.co/UlDFBDc3PI