Savor Life Before It Ends: Revel in Your Existence While You Still Can
My go-to read is "Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, A Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson, penned by Mitch Albom. Though it dropped in '97, the teachings remain evergreen. The book, rooted in reality, paints a tale of an ailing Morrie, a professor at Brandeis, battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. His former student, Albom, reconnects with Morrie, learning profound life lessons every Tuesday.
Caught unaware, Morrie declares a wish for a funeral while still alive, hoping to enjoy the bounty of life's celebration. In a workshop I led, a participant shared a positive response to this move. Her friend, faced with pancreatic cancer, organized a "fake wake" with close friends, food, stories, laughter, and tears. The event, they agreed, was a treasure for everyone who attended.
To underline the importance of expressing affection, we frequently keep the dead company when we should be telling them how much they mattered during their living days.
In a tale resonating with Morrie's lesson, a friend struggling with her mom's sudden and incurable illness decided to organize a celebration of life while she was still around. Given her mother's penchant for a jolly cocktail gathering, the idea worked like a charm.
Digging deeper, I had Don Yaeger, a prolific author and former Associate Editor of Sports Illustrated, talk about his work on "Never Die Easy: The Autobiography of Walter Payton." In his journey, Yaeger was requested to spend Payton's final days alongside him while battling a rare liver disease.
As Payton pondered, he proposed exchanging all his awards, trophies, and Hall of Fame status for a single day - to walk his daughter down the aisle. Despite being too young when the book came out, this emotional piece was eventually shared at Payton's daughter's wedding, touching hearts profoundly.
Life, as they say, is short, and we might as well rationally enjoy our dessert before it's too late. With death lurking, why wait for a funeral to celebrate the beauty of life? Embrace the prospect of an event while you're still around - a chance to reflect on your achievements, share memories, and gain perspective on life's true essence.
Just like a legacy letter or ethical will discussed in this Forbes.com article, showing intentionality in sharing what truly matters helps those around us. So, gather your loved ones, share your thoughts, and savor the sweetness of life.
Funerals can be a time for grief, but they shouldn't be the only celebrations of life. A friend of mine, facing her mother's sudden and incurable illness, chose to organize a celebration of life while her mother was still alive, mimicking her mother's preference for joyous gatherings. Don Yaeger, an author, wrote about a similar experience in his autobiography, "Never Die Easy: The Autobiography of Walter Payton," where Payton expressed his desire to walk his daughter down the aisle instead of enjoying various awards and trophies. These celebrations remind us that life is short, and we should embrace every opportunity – while we are still alive – to share our achievements, create memories, and cherish our relationships. Such intendful sharing can be likened to the concept of a legacy letter or ethical will, as discussed in the Forbes.com article, and is essential for our loved ones who will carry our memories forward.
