Gloomy Tuesday
Do you ever think about what it must feel like to know you are going to die? I mean, we all know that we will die someday, but we have no idea how or when. I think about my grandmother, knowing that she can't live much past 98 years old, that sometime soon, she will die. I think the scary part must be knowing that and wondering what will happen to you, hoping that you just go to sleep and don't wake up again, instead of the awful alternatives. I think about people who are diagnosed with a terminal illness, of my father when he was sick with cancer, knowing that death is imminent. Trying to tie up lose ends and let those around you know that you love them. Is there a peace in knowing it will all be over soon, or is it too heartbreaking to comprehend since life passes so quickly? Are there huge regrets, or can you shrug it off, knowing it will be over soon and regrets will mean nothing when you are dead.
I know this is morbid, but I think we all get caught up in the mundane acts of living. Paying bills, going to work, etc. We forget to stop and enjoy the little moments, to tell the people we love that we do, to seize the day.
The other thing that I was wondering about (I was at a funeral yesterday, hence this post) was what will happen when there is no land left for cemetaries. There are more and more people on earth every year, which means more graves will be needed down the line. Even though people are living longer, they will all still die eventually. Where will we all fit? (Not me; I want to be cremated and sprinkled somewhere beautiful, natural, serene.) Will mandatory cremations be a thing of the future? Ocean graves? Stacking graves? Guess I don't have to worry because I will be gone long before it's an issue. Let our grandchildren figure it out. Oh, and they can pay off my credit card debt, as well.
I know this is morbid, but I think we all get caught up in the mundane acts of living. Paying bills, going to work, etc. We forget to stop and enjoy the little moments, to tell the people we love that we do, to seize the day.
The other thing that I was wondering about (I was at a funeral yesterday, hence this post) was what will happen when there is no land left for cemetaries. There are more and more people on earth every year, which means more graves will be needed down the line. Even though people are living longer, they will all still die eventually. Where will we all fit? (Not me; I want to be cremated and sprinkled somewhere beautiful, natural, serene.) Will mandatory cremations be a thing of the future? Ocean graves? Stacking graves? Guess I don't have to worry because I will be gone long before it's an issue. Let our grandchildren figure it out. Oh, and they can pay off my credit card debt, as well.
posted by Tracy at 7:08 AM
2 Comments:
So many things to reply to in this post.
First off, we'll use Australia for burial grounds. No one's really using it anyway.
Secondly, every day is the first day of the rest of your life, except the last one.
But most importantly, no one has the luxury of living like they'll die today. Even with terminal illnesses, doctors can be way off with their estimates and patients can live years longer than expected.
As far as I can tell, we're pretty much all stuck focusing on day-to-day annoyances and responsibilities because we can't just shirk them at the prospect of not being here tomorrow. I guess we just have to try to have enough fun outside of that crap so that when we do finally go, we're not saying "I wish I'd..."
i think about the whole land for cemetaries thing too, even though i too want to be cremated. I was actually at a cemetary just the other day taking some photos...
You ask important questions...unfortunately or fortunately, i had a parent die tragically when i was a child and i do wonder about the whole other side...being around someone KNOWING their days are just about gone. Completely different experiences, and yes, i think the things to remain conscious about is the step you take every day, the breath you take in and give out, everything little and big thing. it matters. our good moods and our pissy moods. everything.
Post a Comment
<< Home