As I’ve been standing by a close friend whose mother is in hospice, it’s brought on some deep reflection about the lessons that death teaches us. Two lessons have really stood out to me: the power of love and the importance of not waiting to live the life you truly want.
Lesson One: Love
In watching my friend navigate this heartbreaking time, I’ve been reminded of how essential love is—whether it’s love for others or love for ourselves. Forgiveness is a huge part of this. Holding onto past hurts only creates walls, bitterness and disease. So many years ago, Jesus spread the message of loving our neighbors as ourselves. This is a message that’s just as relevant today as it was back then. Remember to treat others with the same kindness, compassion, and understanding that we personally desire and deserve. But love doesn’t only revolve around others; it starts within us. Self-love is crucial for our wholeness and well-being. In the same way that we so easily fill our minds with worry and self limiting thoughts, we can actively choose to occupy our minds with positivity, gratitude, and an inner dialogue that actually fuels us with life.
Lesson Two: Don’t Wait
Death also reminds us not to wait. To act now. Life is fleeting, and the present moment is all we truly have. It’s so easy to think that there’s always more time—time to visit that friend, take that trip, say I love you or call to check on grandma. But the reality is, everything can change in an instant. Our health and vitality is only ours for a finite amount of time, so we can’t afford to put off our dreams. We can’t afford to hesitate to show our love. We can’t afford to let fear irrationally take the wheel. We are literally on borrowed time, so..
Keep pushing forward.
Sieze opportunity.
Love deeply.
Don’t wait.
Give thanks for today.
Live now.
Life is unpredictable and precious, so the time to act is here —not tomorrow, not someday, but literally right now. It’s is all we really have anyway.