Death and Taxes...

In loving memory of Mariska and Cornel.

There are certain things you can always count on in this world. The two that will always be constant is death and taxes. Death will always find you wherever you are; you can’t out run it or hide from it because it knows you’re every move. Taxes pretty much work the same way. Every year like clockwork you have to file your returns and hope that the tax man approves.

Tomorrow I have to say goodbye to two great people who left this world of ours so abruptly and violently. In the prime of their lives they have been taken away from all who admired, adored and loved them. I never thought that one day I would be sitting here writing this blog about these two special people. Having known both Mariska and Cornel for close to fifteen years and admiring the love they had for each other I still find it hard to believe that this is the end. They were the ultimate example of how true love can last a lifetime and that real love does exist and that you can actually live the fantasy of settling down with your high school sweetheart.

When I was at my lowest point with discovering my own sexuality and dealing with puberty Mariska was there to offer a shoulder and push me to go on and be positive. When I was on the verge of giving up she was the one that taught me to see the silver lining to every dismally grey could. Cornel was always the strong silent type and although he did not speak much about matters of the heart, like most men do, he was there to offer his support when needed and always brought a realistic point of view just to remind you that the answers to the questions are actually that simple.  He always had acceptance and understanding for me no matter what. I loved them and they loved me and there was nothing that could come between us.

When I think of all the awesome times we had together I feel the tears well up inside me and wonder why. Why were these two solid, grounded and decent people taken so early from us?

 I suppose this should be a reminder to us that we are all here on borrowed time and any of us can go at any time. There is no recipe for longevity and there is no guarantee that you will see the light of day tomorrow. We so often get caught up in our hectic lives with, work projects, traffic, and schedules we often forget to just sit and admire our world and realise how truly blessed we are. When your time is finally up how would you like to be remembered? What kind of legacy would you want to leave behind? These are the questions we should be asking ourselves and really take the time to think about it before we answer.

I am not much of a believer in the afterlife and I don’t know what comes next. I do trust in the fact that it has been decided for us and that we are mere puppets on a string. However I do take comfort in the fact that they left this world together because I simply can’t imagine the one without the other. They simply completed each other on so many levels and if God or the Universe were to separate these true sole mates it would have been a true injustice.

I once saw a numerologist who explained to me that when we start out in this world we start as a perfectly formed egg. At birth the egg yolk and egg white gets separated and we basically spend the rest of our lives looking for our other half. The yolks look for their egg whites and the egg whites look for their yolks. Mariska and Cornel managed to find each other early in their lives and most of us can only dream of finding such a lasting and true love as theirs.

Though I am saddened at the thought of them not being around, and have regret about not seeing them as often as we should have. I feel so blessed and honoured and privileged to have had them in my life and that I was able to call them true friends.

Time and space might have separated us but the way I feel about you two has and will never change. I am so thankful for the time that we had together because it helped to shape me into the person I am today. Without your love support and encouragement I would not have be as blessed as I am today.

Wherever you are I hope that you are there together and that you continue share that strong bond of love and commitment you had here on earth.

With all my undying love…

Heinie