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Solstice Thoughts: On Living Till We’re Dead
As they days grow increasingly shorter, I’m thinking about how I want to live, before I’m dead.
This probably sounds dramatic, but hear me out — this thought process is eminently practical. And it’s how I’m currently locating contentment, inspiration, strength, and forgiveness in a time that is incredibly challenging for all of us.
I got this saying from volunteering for hospice, something I’ve been doing since last May. I do this work for entirely selfish reasons. I was promised — by a podcast, of course — that it would be life-changing, and it’s proven to be just that.
“You are alive until you are dead” is one of the fundamental premises of hospice. In other words, until the patient is dead, we treat them as if they were alive — with the dignity and care we’d give to any living person, rather than treating them as an object not long for this world.
But this phrase (“You are alive until you are dead”) has become my mantra. Say it with me — “You are alive until you are dead.” Think about those words. Meditate on them. For me, they float over my life like a neon sign. I am alive, for now. I will die. How would I want to spend my last moments?
Again, this might sound dramatic. It could sound like I’m planning to live a la Edna St. Vincent’s “First Fig,”burning my…
