You Are Going to Die

I know, it’s a morbid topic, but it is absolutely true. We will all die. If you think about it, even if we live to be 117 years old (the age I will be if I get to see the year 2100) it’s just the blink of an eye in the grand scheme.

Ever since my grandfather passed away last summer, my own mortality has been weighing on me. The thought that in ten years, I will be 45; the last ten years have flown by. I could realistically be a grandpa. I fall into the trap of what I haven’t gotten accomplished. My professional life is just barely starting, my colleagues are mid- to late-twenties when they start. I haven’t traveled to enrich myself. I could go on…

Realistically, it’s not a bad thing to finally face and accept one’s own mortality. Thinking of how you want to spend the next 70 years. What you want to leave behind, in terms of your loved ones memories. How full a life you want to live, and what that means for you. Some people want to create. They will feel fulfilled if they have painted, or written or built xyz. Some want to travel, others want to learn or fill their days with the love of their children. There is no right or wrong to this, but we need to think of how we want to live our lives and potentially our legacy.

I do truly believe that no matter how we want to fill our lives, growth is important. That could very realistically mean growing your children’s memories of us. It could mean reading about something new, or traveling somewhere new and engrossing ourselves into the culture. It could mean growing spiritually, seeking out one’s higher power and striving to live according to that.

There is a Chinese proverb that states: “The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago; the second best time is now.” If you feel like you’ve missed the boat on what you want to leave behind, you haven’t. Start taking those piano lessons, better yet: take piano lessons with your child. Twenty years from now, you will both be far better pianists than you are now and you child will have the magical memory of sharing that experience with you.

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