7 Comments

Great post and I resonated so much with the clip from Green Renaissance. I was so fortunate to be able to retire from FT work at a young age AND it has been since that time where I have consciously lived. My hope and what I try to share is that all - retired or not - are able to find at least moments of really choosing how they are living.

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Outstanding Kert! At 76 we are losing many of the folks in our life’s journey. One lady comes to mind as I had known her for 54 years. We met as first year teachers

and shared our enthusiasm for teaching and

loving children. She truly lived life and entertaining until the week she died. So her life was meaningful!!

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Do your best, no regrets.

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I remind myself to stay in the moment and enjoy the little things. I hope some of those moments will live on well past me.

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Such a thought-provoking, opening question: "What does dying ask of us?" I would add, "and when are we aware of its asking?" This is a beautiful piece and I'm grateful that you sent me the link. A life of meaning and purpose is what we all desire on some level, but a life of meaning and purpose that sees death as part of its grace, well I think that may be what makes us fully a human being. Beautiful, heart-felt writing.

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I love the question’s extension: “When are we aware of its asking?” Maybe that is it in a nutshell—all the things our life offers us that is meant for us to recognize, and live fully, not in spite of death, but because of it. Kafka said: “The meaning of life is that it ends.” There’s a lot there. And yet most don’t realize the time to begin understanding it all is not when we’re on our deathbeds, but NOW! THIS is what my dad needed in his own preparation—no one Eldered him in the ways of dying; so we carved that path together he and I.

Thank you for reading that Stephanie, that means a lot that you were than interested.

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Amen. The Kafka quote says it all, "The meaning of life is that it ends." How we die has a great deal to do with how we live, and how and if we contemplate the question "what does dying ask of us?" Deep, thought provoking and somehow comforting reflections, Kert. Thank you, again.

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