Perhaps it is inevitable that the more we age, the more we pay attention to such things as death.
I was born to "older" parents, so that sensation of "the inevitable end" was perhaps more of a pervasive undercurrent in my upbringing than in most people's... culminating with my father passing away when I had just turned 18. He was 60 years old.
I am currently 63.
Whereas I have no particular fear of death, I am definitely aware of it... perhaps even moreso as a result of how much Covid was in everybody's faces, for a few years, and suddenly people of all ages were randomly passing from this plane of existence.
This morning, there was a small sidebar notification in my newsfeed, observing that a local restaurant owner had passed away unexpectedly at age 43, leaving behind a wife and two teenage kids. And a poplar local eatery, now "indefinitely closed."
Someone had created a "Gofundme" for the family, to help them through the next few weeks. It was gratifying to see that local people were opening both their hearts and their wallets. But it was also profoundly sad.
I'm sure that Dave — the late restaurant owner — had no idea that a few days ago would be his last day on Earth. I wonder if he took it for granted that his final breath would not be anytime soon?
It has been suggested that a simple "attitude of gratitude" can help lengthen your life. I'm not sure whether there's any truth to that, but I'd submit that if you're grateful for your days on this Earth it seems less likely that you'd enter enter the afterlife — if such a thing exists — with bitterness and regret.
In a sense, it's a bit like just paying your bills when they came in, rather than ignoring them and not paying until they are 60 days past due and you keep getting nasty phone calls, asking for payment.
Be grateful now, not "later, when I have more time."
But how do we make the most of life?
It might feel like a trite old cliché, but Ram Dass' saying "Be Here Now" definitely applies. It's not so much about "living in the moment" and forgetting all else, as it is about not allowing ourselves to go on "autopilot" and cruise through our days like detached zombies.
Way back when, monks at monasteries used the term "acedia" to describe a sort of spiritual sloth in which someone would definitely say their prayers, and do their assigned tasks, and perform their rituals, and work in the gardens but without actually being there, fully. "Going through the motions," as it were.
It's something we're at risk of doing, all the time... daily life becomes so familiar that we stop actually thinking about what we're doing, while we do it. We walk our dog for 20 minutes "because we have to," but fail to truly take joy in the dog's carefree happiness, and the beauty of the changing seasons in our neighborhood. And, in the process, we miss 1000's of tiny joys and experiences, because we have withdrawn inside our own thoughts.
It is one of the things I love about nature photography; about truly getting down inside the subject matter... it takes me out of my head and invites me to be right there, instead.
We each have our thing that can bring us to here, and now. We just have to be mindful and remember it, and practice it. Sometimes easier said than done, in this world where there are so many demands placed on us... so many people and things, clamoring for our attention.
Maybe I am imagining things, but sometimes it feels like life gets more and more uncertain, as the years roll on. More reason to appreciate what you have, and who you know... while you can!
Thanks for stopping by, and have a great week ahead!
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Created at 2024-02-26 00:52 PST
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