A friend of mine lost her father this weekend quite unexpectedly. One moment he was there and by all indications, a healthy person, and the next moment he was gone.
In this day and age of science and medicine, we tend to feel more protected against the fickle finger of death. We have the map of the human genome, advanced diagnostic instruments, and the ability to perform amazing procedures to correct conditions which decades ago would seal someone's fate. However, we're not perfect and there will always be things even our most powerful tools cannot perceive or correct.
In the bigger scheme of things I'm not just talking about medical conditions. You could be walking down the street and get struck by lighting. The roof could collapse. You could spontaneously combust. My point is simple - the reality is your life could end at any moment with no warning at all. Your gender, age, health, race, socioeconomic status - none of that necessarily has anything to do with it.
So due to the capricious nature of fate we must always keep in mind that we're not owed any specific amount of time on this green rock hurtling through the cosmos. We can do all the 'right things' and still suffer a premature departure. Because of this uncertainty we can't afford to live our lives with some grandiose goal that can only be achieved after X years of hard work. While it's admirable that someone would have the foresight to see so far into the future, it's also a bit presumptuous to think you'll be awarded with the time to see your plan to fruition.
So I say live every second of your life as best as you can. Ask yourself 'if I was to die this very second, what would I be remembered for?'. When I ask myself that question I realize I haven't accomplished any monumental goals - I haven't walked on the moon or freed the slaves - so maybe I won't be remembered on a global scale.
However, I do feel that if I was to die today I would be remembered for the way I treated people. I would like to be remembered as a loving son and brother, as well as a loyal friend. I'd like people to remember my willingness to listen and counsel people and my trustworthiness. I'd like people to remember my sense of humor and level-headedness. Finally I'd like to be remembered as someone who had potential to do great things, even if I never achieved them.
If you died today how would you want to be remembered?
Keep that in mind as you live your potentially last day, every day.
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4 comments:
How would I want to be remembered? Sometimes I think about this, and it generally causes me to want to change my life in some way or another. However, I think some clarification is in order. Maybe this question needs to be answered on three levels - remembered by family, remembered by friends, and remembered by anyone else. My answers would be, as a loving son / brother, as a happy-go-lucky friend, and as some kid who died too young.
Demers,
I'm a bit puzzled at your answer to 'how would i want everyone else to remember me?'
That basically sounds like you want your death to just be another death. Something that people say 'well, that's a shame' and move on with their lives.
I guess to strangers that's usually the case unless you are a celebrity or accomplished some widely known thing.
I think most would value being remembered by my family and friends much more than everyone else, so I don't think that matters much.
I'd probably want to be remembered as someone who tried to make the world a better place.
Someday, hopefully a day in the not-to-distant future, I would hope that science fiction becomes reality and our average life span increases dramatically due to revolutionary advances in the biochemistry, surgery, preventative medicine, or whatever. We've already seen the life span for generation Y predicted to be well over 100 years old. If I were to die today, however, and not after living an average life span, I would hope to be remembered by my family and friends as a nice guy, someone who was willing to help, and as courageous. Whenever I go, I'd hope that I go down fighting.
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