A REFLECTION
Do Not Stand by My Grave
If there is one lesson I hope you carry with you after I’m gone, let it be this: Life has a way of drawing lines in the sand. Sometimes it begins with something so small we hardly remember how it started. Pride steps in. Hurt follows. We defend our position, justify our actions, and before we know it, years have quietly slipped away. What was once a simple misunderstanding becomes a lifetime of silence. Please don’t let that happen to you. No one is perfect. I certainly wasn’t. There were times in my own life when I wandered away from the Lord, only to discover He had never stopped waiting for me. His arms remained open, just as the father welcomed home the prodigal son. If one day you stand by my grave, I don’t want you to carry guilt, regret, or the weight of words left unsaid. Lay that burden before the Lord. He is far greater than our failures, and His grace is greater than our pride. Know this above all else: I loved you yesterday. I love you today. And I will love you for all the tomorrows God allows beyond this life. Honor the memories we shared. Forgive where forgiveness is needed. Love those still walking beside you. And if there is someone you’ve been meaning to call, to embrace, or to tell you love them, don’t wait. The years are precious, and once they are gone, we cannot call them back. Come home while there is still time.
— Rollin E. Trueblood, USMC (Ret.)
Sources
The sources for this dispatch are still being added. Until they are here, treat the factual claims above as Ron's own account rather than as verified reporting.