A Sacred Tribute: A Profoundly Emotional Essay from a Recent Widow

Naomi Rivka Most became widowed from her husband Eric, who was supposed to celebrate his 47th birthday nine weeks ago. A few years earlier, Eric was diagnosed with lymphoma, and the journey was not easy. Yet, "he didn't care how challenging or painful the day was; he was always happy to be alive, to spend more time with his family, and to use the limited time he had left to grow and do good in the world," writes Most in a special and moving column published on the Aish HaTorah website.

According to her, Eric appreciated the 'small' things in life, like the warmth of the sun, the flowers and their ability to change every day, food, music, colorful socks, and even a soft chair to sit on.

"He valued the ability to walk, eat, and dress independently, although towards the end he could no longer do any of these things himself. He couldn't speak either. We communicated mostly through text or hand gestures and lip movements."

"Sometimes It Feels Like an Eternity, and the Pain Strikes Me"

Most continues to describe the feeling of a fresh widow (may we never experience this) — how her life turned upside down 180 degrees. "Sometimes it feels like an eternity, and the pain strikes me. But then, when I hear my children waking up and starting to get ready for school, I remind myself that today I must choose. How will I behave with my children? Will I do my best to be a good mom? Will I try to make this day enjoyable and fun? How can I do this when such a huge part of me is gone?"

Gone in the physical sense, but not in other ways according to her. "I get out of bed and smile as I open the gate to the garden where the children and I planted seedlings according to Eric's instructions. I see the grass growing and the beautiful roses he planted especially for me. I see the pictures we chose together hanging on the walls of our home.

"In the faces of my children, I see his face. Everywhere I turn, I see what we built together, lessons I learned, inspiration and growth we achieved together," she writes and reminds us that every day is a lesson unto itself, a lesson on how not to take everything we have in life for granted."