windflower, this is a very deep question.
i don't know why, but i can't help thinking of "e lucevan le stelle" from "tosca" where Cavadarossi is just about to be killed by firing squad. at the end he sings "io non ho amato mai tanto la vita": "i have never before loved life so much" (i think). this is not actually english, i just realised.
how about shakespeare from "cymbeline" "fear no more the heat o' th' sun, nor the furious winters' rages; thou thy earthly task hast done, home art gone, and ta'en thy wages."
this is more of a farewell, but it's a beautiful way to say goodbye. not really helping am i!
when you lose something you cherish, there are so many things you can feel. what's that pop song "don't wanna lose you now..."?
i don't even know if it's a person or a thing; i think that makes a difference. there is a beautiful word for remembering something after it's gone: nostalgia.