Being called uncle nowadays reminds me that I am older than most of the general population. Getting used to it is another thing. While one may feel young at heart, the physical body tends to have a habit of reminding you that it has been around for quite some time. The body aches and pains seem to take much longer or forever to go away, the excess body fat seems to be increasing even though you try to eat less and exercise more.
One is constantly reminded of one’s mortality when someone you know has passed on. And this happens more regularly as you grow older. Last week, I was informed that a classmate from secondary school days had a fatal heart attack. It was tragic that he was living alone when it happened and colleagues found out about it a day later when they noticed that he was MIA. I was told that he had medical problems and a heart condition. I remember him as a very sporty and friendly person in school. RIP.
What is human mortality? Once we passed on, loved ones only have memories of the person which fades away over time. Thanks to social media, we may be able to call up photos and videos of the person anytime we feel a tinge of nostalgia.
Would you rather know when you will kick the bucket or do you prefer not to know? We had a friend that passed on at 37, 7 months after he found out that he had pancreatic cancer. He made full use of his limited time on earth, making peace with the world and spending quality time with close friends. He even composed his own obituary epitaph where he invited everyone to his wake, to have a celebration of his life with nice food and wines. He told his best friend : “No cheap mineral water please!”
Going out with a bang is something I would like to do. Morbid as it sounds, I have already told my sons and best friends my chosen funeral wake song (Silent Lucidity by Queensryche). I would also like them to play a list of songs (with MTV video and lyrics) that had impacted my life during the wake. Haven’t got to the part to choose the playlist yet though.
LKY, a possible atheist, once said that when you are gone, you are gone. Accept that. For those that have religious faiths, it means going to a better place or being reborn again. Whatever your inclinations, the fact remains that we are living on borrowed time on planet earth. You are what you want out of this. Either you make the best out of this life and maximize it by living each day as if it is the last day of your life, or you waste away every single day. It is your choice.
I choose to face life positively, to look at the bright side of every situation and make the best of it. While I may still encounter people I dislike once in a while, it should not stop me from sharing and trying to give back to society. Staying healthy and happy is still my motto.
Leave a Reply