May You Never Grow Up
Do Not Despise Death
I received word that one of my advisees has died of a cardiac incident while on a run with his wife. He was two years younger than me. He finished the last course of his program in December and was set to graduate with a Master of Arts degree in Theological Studies this coming May.
As our thoughts and prayers are with his family, let us not miss the opportunity to reflect and perhaps even prepare for our own passing by recognizing that, in the brevity of life, we must complete what is important. Let us waste no time entertaining ourselves to death but love fiercely, work well, and leaving as little as possible undone.
"Do not despise death, but be well content with it, since this too is one of those things which nature wills. For such as it is to be young and to grow old, and to increase and to reach maturity, and to have teeth and beard and grey hairs, and to beget, and to be pregnant and to bring forth, and all the other natural operations which the seasons of your life bring, such also is dissolution. This, then, is consistent with the character of a reflecting man, to be neither careless nor impatient nor contemptuous with respect to death, but to wait for it as one of the operations of nature. As you now wait for the time when the child shall come out of your wife's womb, so be ready for the time when your soul shall fall out of this envelope. But if you require also a vulgar kind of comfort which shall reach your heart, you will be made best reconciled to death by observing the objects from which you are going to be removed, and the morals of those with whom your soul will no longer be mingled."
--Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 9
I'd rather "fall out of this envelope" while on a run or a hike.
I hope I don't die indoors.
I'd rather die living the greatest adventure--living.
Further reading (take you less than 5 minutes): Seneca, "On Meeting Death Cheerfully"
"Let us think of that today and tomorrow and every day. That no matter what happens, no matter where life takes us, as we do our duties and bear our responsibilities, let us strive to do them in such a way that lets us honestly say, 'This was my finest hour.' Because you never know how many you have left. So you might as well make this your best." (Ryan Holiday)
As our thoughts and prayers are with his family, let us not miss the opportunity to reflect and perhaps even prepare for our own passing by recognizing that, in the brevity of life, we must complete what is important. Let us waste no time entertaining ourselves to death but love fiercely, work well, and leaving as little as possible undone.
"Do not despise death, but be well content with it, since this too is one of those things which nature wills. For such as it is to be young and to grow old, and to increase and to reach maturity, and to have teeth and beard and grey hairs, and to beget, and to be pregnant and to bring forth, and all the other natural operations which the seasons of your life bring, such also is dissolution. This, then, is consistent with the character of a reflecting man, to be neither careless nor impatient nor contemptuous with respect to death, but to wait for it as one of the operations of nature. As you now wait for the time when the child shall come out of your wife's womb, so be ready for the time when your soul shall fall out of this envelope. But if you require also a vulgar kind of comfort which shall reach your heart, you will be made best reconciled to death by observing the objects from which you are going to be removed, and the morals of those with whom your soul will no longer be mingled."
--Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 9
I'd rather "fall out of this envelope" while on a run or a hike.
I hope I don't die indoors.
I'd rather die living the greatest adventure--living.
Further reading (take you less than 5 minutes): Seneca, "On Meeting Death Cheerfully"
"Let us think of that today and tomorrow and every day. That no matter what happens, no matter where life takes us, as we do our duties and bear our responsibilities, let us strive to do them in such a way that lets us honestly say, 'This was my finest hour.' Because you never know how many you have left. So you might as well make this your best." (Ryan Holiday)
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