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“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”  Matthew 5:4 (NIV)

There are things in life we are never ready to go through, and losing a loved one is certainly one of those things we dread. July 17, 2017 started off to be a very good day, and I even sent encouraging emails to friends early that day because I wanted them to feel the same way I felt. At lunch time, I received the phone call. My only male sibling, my beloved brother Roberto, known affectionately as Beto, had suddenly suffered cardiac arrest as he walked to a meeting. The EMT’s who worked on him recorded that it took 28 minutes to resuscitate him. As I heard that report, I felt information from the preceding days, weeks, months, and even years rushing through my brain and found myself struggling to breathe. It seemed like a bad dream, surreal, not possible!

My brother remained in CVSICU, the intensive care unit for cardiovascular patients at Mercy Hospital in Miami, where he lived, for the next 11 days. After praying and hoping for a miracle for those very difficult days, on July 28^th our family had to suddenly let go of the idea of Beto ever leaving the hospital.  He went home to be with the Lord, leaving a huge void in our lives.

It has only been a couple of weeks since he left us, and the past several days have brought a lot of tears, as I have allowed my grieving to pour out of me. I have also had moments when I was reminded of the many times we laughed together and enjoyed the time we had together. I was blessed to have my brother in my life, and I was blessed to share special moments with him, as well as to stay connected with him even as we lived many miles apart.

Despite the sadness I feel now, I am blessed to be able to find solace in a half-century worth of memories with Beto, and I will cherish these memories with my sons, grandsons, family and friends. He will always be a part of our lives – just in a different way.  I know I don’t walk this grief journey alone, because God is with me every step of the way. He is my comforter, and I can claim His promise that to be absent from the body is to be present with Him – this is our living hope.  Beto is enjoying the presence of our Lord – that brings me peace and comfort.
 

“Lord, thank You for putting special people in our lives, especially those we call family. We are indeed blessed in so many ways!”

For His Glory

Luska Suzano
TRBC Women’s Life