Page 3 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2018- Online Magazine

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I don’t know what it is, but for some reason, I have been to far more funerals lately
than usual. Some of the funerals were a long time coming and serve to celebrate
a long life, well-lived. Others, like one of the most recent services I attended, came the
as a surprise to the young family, leaving school-aged children to grapple with
the tragic realities of death and dying. Those are the hardest. They’ve left me publisher
wrestling with just how I can explain these things to my own children.

These are, of course, the important lessons
to share with our children. Funerals help
us to remember that our time is limited,
and we must be mindful of what kind of
impact we are having during our brief
time here. At one funeral, in particular,
there were so many people who wanted
to stand and speak about the deceased
that the family had each person write just
one word that described their loved one
instead. As they read through this list of
short epitaphs, I couldn’t help but wonder
what words people would use to describe
me. I certainly hope that they would be
words like “loyal” or “kind” or something
about how much I love my children. This
has really helped me to have a better grasp
on exactly what I want my legacy to be.

Now, it may seem like a far leap to be talking about death and dying as I introduce an issue that celebrates “Love
Stories”. But, you know, it only takes listening to a handful of eulogies to pick up on the common theme: no
matter the level of success or impact that these individuals have had, people always talk of the love that they
had for others and how greatly they were loved in return.

In this issue, we’ve had the pleasure of exploring what it means to love and be loved. We’ve asked middle school
and high school students what love is, and we’ve sat and listened to what love means to a couple after almost
seven decades of marriage. As I’ve read through some of these stories, I couldn’t help but wonder if the different
generations are even talking about the same thing. To the students, love was a feeling, something that warmed
their hearts and made them feel good. It seemed to be much more substantial than that to our octogenarian
love birds. Of course, with age and experience, we gain a better appreciation of the meaning of love, but, I
wonder, has our cultural understanding of the concept of love changed? Some of the love stories in this issue
include tragedies and challenges that people from my generation could hardly fathom. In our society, it isn’t
uncommon for the death of a child or some other overwhelming adversity to become the impetus for divorce.
However, when I read through some of the stories in this issue, it seems that tragedy is what strengthened the
love, rather than what cracked its foundation. In fact, it seems that, for these couples, their love actually was the
foundation, and no matter what else happened, they could rebuild from that place of security.

I genuinely hope that, as you enjoy the stories of love and commitment, you will be inspired to evaluate the
impact of your life on the lives of those with whom you share your own love stories.

Erin Agee

{ Thank you for those who have written in this edition, for sharing your knowledge {

and stories and helping to Link us. And thank you to the advertisers who make
this magazine a reality. Without all of you this would not be possible.
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