“Dying is active. Dying is not what happens to you. Dying is what you do.”
― Stephen Jenkinson, Die Wise: A Manifesto for Sanity and Soul
We’re obsessed with being perfect.
Mostly, we take our cue from others.
In that arena though, death is not something people want to talk about. If they do, they’re mostly interested in the heroic. But what about all the people who didn’t make it?
Having had my own brush with the other side, and spent many years in or being around the funeral trade, I take nothing for granted. Sure, I get complacent from time to time but I only need remind myself that one day I won’t be here — “Get a grip, Jules.”
My advice. Get comfortable with being around death, talking about it and living life knowing that one day you won’t be here. That doesn’t mean you rush around like a mad lunatic trying to cram your days full with hedonistic bliss or bloody shopping but it does mean you stop once in a while, observe what’s really going on and take time to enjoy the simple things beyond just talking about it.
If that fails, take time out in nature; her beauty isn’t just in the plants and animals but her patience and forbearance — which we can all learn from.