The father of a dear friend is dying.
And, as the reality of that sets in, I find myself with all sorts of emotions.
Denial, helplessness, numbness.
Sadness and grief, mostly.
And memories of my own father's death come up. He passed away many years ago, and yet it is so fresh in my mind.
So what do I do with all of these feelings now? We don't normally like to talk about death, as it feels like an ending. We're reminded of our own mortality and that can be very scary. But, it can also be transformative.
As things happen, I saw and read a story (attached below) this morning. The timing of finding this article is not a surprise and I recognized it as a way to learn something. It's beautifully written by a woman who spent years working in hospices; offering thoughts from those who are dying about how to live life.
The advice, from people who courageously looked back back at their lives with honesty and shared their insight, is enlightening and inspiring. Reading this article, I found myself looking at how I am experiencing life; how I could be living more fully and at the choices I am making. It's a reminder that I have a responsibility to life. Where and how can I change my thoughts so that I experience my life and express myself authentically? I want to be able to look back on my life and feel that I really lived life fully. We have opportunities every day to make choices about how we really want to live and be. I owe it to myself to accept each day as a gift, and to make choices that honor that. We each do.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bronnie-ware/top-5-regrets-of-the-dyin_b_1220965.html
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