Beauty in Death

I've never lost anyone close to me to death before...until recently. On October 30th, Gwen Hansen passed away. She was the grandmother of my good friend Nathan. But really, she was like a grandmother to me.



I've known her for about 8 years. She was one of the most kind, wisdom-filled, respected women in my life. She was very intelligent, teaching music for many years and inspiring students to become band directors and other music-related positions. She held very high positions in leadership within Newport News Public Schools and was known by everyone. Her reputation shows her passion for teaching and how much she cared for her students.

I didn't know her on a professional level, but on a personal one. For many years, I dated her grandson who lived with her which led me to have many conversations with her and her husband around their dinner table many times a week. Just listening to them speak and tell stories about where they've been and what they've done in their life astounded me. There is something special about sitting back and listening to the wisdom of grandparents pour out of them, and that is something I truly cherished about Gwen. In addition to her wisdom, her compassion and hospitality were over-abundant. She made you feel welcome and loved from the moment you stepped through her front door until the second you left.

Above all, she loved God, her family, and her church. Her faith was apparent, which brings comfort to me to know that she joined her Lord and master in Heaven a couple weeks ago. She was the stronghold of her family, and they all loved her dearly. Watching her family sit by her bedside waiting for her to pass after life support was removed was probably the most difficult for me during this whole process. However, it was also the most enlightening. It showed a family who loved and cared for Gwen deeply, and showed a cycle of life - she always gave of herself her whole life for her family and others, and finally at her deathbed, her family was able to simply care for her and give back to her as they ushered her into her next stage of life. It was sad, but yet beautiful.

I guess everytime you go through a huge life stage such as births, weddings, or deaths, you get a chance to truly cherish what you have and think about how things are changing by those life events. This death to me, though was painful, was a way for me to see beauty in a life stage that I had never seen before on such a personal level. I feel blessed that the Hansen family allowed me to walk with them closely through this stage in their lives.

Rest in peace, Gwen Hansen. We love you.