This short story is an excerpt from the full book, “I Married my Teacher.” The story describes the last two days of a fifty-six year “affaire de coeur,” and the finality of the last hours spent with the person we care about more than ourselves. It is hoped that this rendition along with the full book will encourage couples to savor and enrich their precious time together since none of us knows how long that time will be. By doing so, lovers can assure themselves that they will not have any regrets when the time of parting is upon them.
The title, “The Death of the Love of My Life,” depicts an end to a boundless love affair. The book cover was meant to challenge that depiction. It illustrates the Nebula, “30 Doratus, the Tarantula Nebula” which is 170,000 light years away from our planet. The remarkable image was recently revealed to us by the Hubble Space Telescope.
The Nebula is a nursery giving birth to billions of new stars, countless planets, and almost certainly the creation of new life. This marvel takes place among aging and dying stars that fuel the creation of their offspring. It is hoped that the symbolism can invoke the inspirational thought that while our loved ones have left this sublunary Earth, they now reside in a much more glorious place, free of the shackles of pain and disabilities. The sadness summoned by death is overshadowed by the end of suffering, a glorious life after death, and an anticipated sublime reunion.
