Well-known journalist Blendi Salaj shared one of his most personal confessions in an interview for the Grida Duma podcast, where he openly speaks about his fear of death, the loss of his mother, and how this experience changed him.
Blendi explains that his relationship with death has changed over the years.
"I handle it better now than before. It used to terrify me," expresses Salaj, recalling a moment from childhood when a teacher told him there is nothing after death: "I couldn't accept it. It seemed impossible that all that love could just disappear."
For the journalist, personal experiences have brought a calmer approach to the finiteness of life.
"I am not afraid of it because I know it will come for everyone. No one gets out of this life alive. What matters is what we do now, how we live today," he says.
One of the most powerful moments of his confession is related to the loss of his mother.
"I accompanied my mother... I miss her a lot. I loved her deeply, and she loved me exceptionally," expresses Salaj, adding that the pain does not go away but only softens over time:
"No, it never goes away... it numbs. It stays until the end."
An emotional moment is also tied to the birth of his daughter, just a few months after his mother passed away.
"She knew we were expecting our second child... I'm sorry they never met, but I'm glad she knew we were waiting for it," he confesses.
In the end, Salaj emphasizes that the best way to cope with loss is to live as those who are no longer with us would have wanted.
"I live the way I think she would have wanted me to live... to keep going, to do the things I enjoy."
His confession comes as a sincere reflection on life, death, and love, which, according to him, never fades away.