I hope when your bones ache and crack
you remember the summer days,
when you would smile at your dog
as he followed along
while you walked in the morning haze.
I hope when your hearing starts to go
you remember the nights that you spent
singing too loud
trying to drown out the sound
of the pain,
and the truth
and the end.
I hope you remember the crash of the waves,
that made you feel helpless and small.
And the purr of your cat,
as it sat in your lap,
and the rain,
and the wind,
and the
The ticking and tocking of clocks.
Even when your eyes become too weak
to focus upon the stars,
I hope you remember
the way that you felt
that one time you watched the sun rise.
It rose slowly,
while you grew old.
And I hope that as your body
fails and falls apart,
you remember all the ways you lived
and the joy that filled your heart.
I hope that everything you lose
serves only to remind
what you had,
and what you did
and the things that made you smile.
And most of all I hope
that when you say goodbye,
you die not because you’re old
but because you loved a life.
