Labels

I Have Come To Understand That Death Is My Constant Companion And Friend

 November 14, 2024,

Hi, I'm not at all sure just when this realization entered my consciousness, but it is there now.

November 14, 2024, Hi, I'm not at all sure just when this realization entered my consciousness, but it is there now. My Friend I'm 73 years old. I am now in the deep winter of my life. I might well live another five or ten years. Then again it could be five or ten months, weeks, days, or hours! The simple, unavoidable truth is that it is inevitable that I shall die, and that every heart beat bring me closer to that time. And that's okay. Once I took 'Thich Nhat Hanhs' (look up 'Plumb Village') advice and stopped treating death as my enemy, I slowly but surely found myself developing a friendly relationship with Death. I have always been incredibly curious about what was around the next bend, down the channel, or over the mountain. And Death would, if I allowed him, prepare me for the ultimate what's around the next bend in the road question. I've accepted his kind offer. before, I fought the aging process. now, I explore how my body and mind are changing. before, I saw Dying as an ending and a time of transformation now, as a continuation. Death and I have just begun this new relationship. So, I have no idea where it will end or even how long it will continue. What I do know is that at least once in her life, my mother was dead wrong. She told a 14-year-old boy with raging hormones that there were two things that needed no practice, sex and dying. I quickly realized that she was wrong about sex, and now I have come to believe that she was wrong about dying. The journey continues. Brian
My Friend 

I'm 73 years old. Unless I live an unnaturally long life, I am now in the deep winter of my life. I might well live another five or ten years. Then again it could be five or ten months, weeks, days, or hours! The simple, unavoidable truth is that death is inevitable. Every heart beat brings me closer to that time.  And that's okay.

Once I took 'Thich Nhat Hanhs' (look up 'Plumb Village') advice and stopped treating Death as my enemy, I slowly but surely found myself developing a friendly relationship with Death. 

I have always been incredibly curious about what was around the next bend, down the channel, or over the mountain. And Death would, if I allowed him, prepare me for the ultimate what's around the next bend in the road question.

I've accepted his kind offer. 

  • before, I fought the aging process.
  • now, I explore how my body and mind are changing.
  • before, I saw Dying as an ending and a time of transformation
  • now, as a continuation.  
Death and I have just begun this new relationship. So, I have no idea where it will end or even how long it will continue. What I do know is that at least once in her life, my mother was dead wrong. She told a 14-year-old boy with raging hormones that there were two things that needed no practice, sex and dying. I quickly realized that she was wrong about sex, and now, I have come to believe that she was wrong about dying. 

The journey continues. 

Brian 

Email Post
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment