Valentine’s Day 2022.

My third without him.

Yet, despite the sobering reality that his physical being is no longer “here”, I have never felt closer to every infinite piece of who and what he was and all that he left behind. My God, I couldn’t even make myself cry today if I wanted to, because the unbelievable truth is that I have never felt more loved and connected to every single part of not just him, but this Universe, as well:

All I can tell you is that my intersection with the Cosmos this morning was EVERYTHING to me. Even as I write this, I’m smiling yet again, because while on the surface it may appear that the demons that devoured him won, nothing could be farther from the truth

{“The Tragic Truth Revisited“}

Sometimes I worry that some of you may think that my relationship with Death makes me seem pessimistic, morbid, or macabre. Nothing could be further from the truth. I love my life … the good, the bad, and the ugly, and I find it an honor to have been created to exist here.

To me, not only is Death a release from the pain and heartache that often accompanies human existence and survival, it is, indeed, “nothing at all“. Although, of course I’d be lying if I said I didn’t wish that Zack’s physical body was still here with me, his essence, soul, and spirit are literally everywhere around me:

He’s out there. I hear him calling from behind the star fields. I feel him radiating energy like eternal northern lights. I see him watching over me across the sky. Overcoming, projected on my eyes eternally. I find him in the night. Far from the Sun where no one knows. He’s watching from his telescope as he travels the distance in my eyes … Interstellar … light years from me. Like a Supernova … we’ll fuse when we collide … awaking in The Light of all the stars aligned.

{“Telescope” … by Starset}

With that, let me say this to any of my loved ones who are now or ever will read this:

When that day comes that I’ve crossed to the brighter side of all this grey, rest assured knowing that I will be that zephyr blowing gently over your shoulder, just as Zack is now the ever-present breeze I feel blowing over mine. Don’t get me wrong … I’m not “planning” on going anywhere, ’cause umm, there’s still so much left for me to do here with all these little pebbles in my hand.

Nevertheless, always remember that my last singular blip on this life’s radar will never truly be my last, as I, too, will travel the distance like a Supernova until we fuse when we collide again. You see, love really is the one thing that transcends time and space. I know this with every shred of my being.

Though I can’t still see Him, I can feel not only his love, but the unyielding love and presence of the Supernova of all Supernovas … the one Who is always watching over me across the sky through the greatest telescope of all!