Quote by Nicholas Evans, from The Smoke J

If I be the first of us to die,Let grief not blacken long your sky.Be bold yet modest in your grieving.There is a change but not a leaving.For just as death is part of life,The dead live on forever in the living.And all the gathered riches of our journey,The moments shared, the mysteries explored,The steady layering of intimacy stored,The things that made us laugh or weep or sing,The joy of sunlit snow or first unfurling of the spring,The wordless language of look and touch,The knowing,Each giving and each taking,These are not flowers that fade,Nor trees that fall and crumble,Nor are they stone,For even stone cannot the wind and rain withstandAnd mighty mountain peaks in time reduce to sand.What we were, we are.What we had, we have.A conjoined past imperishably present.So when you walk the wood where once we walkedtogetherAnd scan in vain the dappled bank beside you for my shadow,Or pause where we always did upon the hill to gaze across the land,And spotting something, reach by habit for my hand,And finding none, feel sorrow start to steal upon you,Be still.Close your eyes.Breathe.Listen for my footfall in your heart.I am not gone but merely walk within you.

Summary

This quote speaks to the idea that death is not an end, but rather a part of life. The author encourages the reader to grieve in a bold yet modest manner, acknowledging the change that comes with the loss but emphasizing that it is not a complete separation. The memories, experiences, and connections formed during the journey of life continue to live on even after death. The quote reminds us to cherish the moments shared with loved ones and to find solace in the fact that they are always with us, walking within us. It offers comfort and hope amidst the pain of loss.