Living in the Midst of Dying

It can seem macabre to ponder one's mortality or to ask yourself questions like "What if I only had one more month to live?"

But the reality is, our time in our physical bodies is limited. In my college singing group, whenever any of us had a birthday, we would end their birthday song shouting in unison, “One day closer to death!” Which can be funny…but it’s also real, isn’t it? From the very moment we’re born into this world, we’re already on the journey towards dying a physical death. Every day, every breath…we’re dying.

Which is a very different framework for viewing life. To think of death not as some far off phenomenon to be kept out of sight and therefore out of mind. But as a daily affirmation of the value of life. To not wait until later to live your life and to live your dreams. But to live now and to have joy now amidst the process of journeying towards death.

For most of us, we won’t know when our time is up. When that final day has arrived. So wouldn't it be good to know that regardless of how or when that time comes, you've lived your life as fully as you could have? To have peace of mind and peace in your heart that you’re living life more and more every day?

Turning over as many stones as possible, taking risks, taking running starts into leaps of faith, telling and showing people that you love them, thanking those who have contributed to your life's journey, shedding the dead weight of fear, shame, guilt and regret, and living life joyfully in the present as often as possible, sowing seeds for plentiful harvests in the future long after you've gone on?

So what if you only had 1 more month to be here? Would you live your life differently?

And if so, what's stopping you from starting now?