My kids call me a “death attorney” without even a trace of sarcasm. And it is true we have seen a lot of death lately. As an estate planning attorney it sometimes falls to me to be with my clients during their last days, hours, even at their bedside at their last breath. Some have no one else. As for my kids, we have a lot of pets and they have experienced loss there, a beloved old Tom cat we actually inherited from one of my clients, a hamster, a goldfish won at the fair and to which my daughter became quickly attracted over just a few short days he was with us, (I am not ashamed to admit that I actually attempted to cover this one up by substituting Bubbles with Bubbles II but my daughter was too shrewd and would not be fooled.)
I saw this quote and I find it a good one. When you see a lot of death, especially of people who are your age, it brings home the reality of your mortality. We will all cross that bridge into the unknown. Maybe having lived long, maybe not. Maybe surrounded by loved ones. Maybe alone. Maybe peacefully. Maybe painfully. Maybe knowing, expecting. Maybe by surprise.
I am chilled when I think about those who pass that way stout in their belief that there is nothing beyond. Even without tangible visible proof I choose to believe in the after life, which is some open and flexible version of my Christian teachings and the less formalized, spiritual possibility of reincarnation. I believe in physics and that matter in whatever form whether body or soul does not just disappear.
Does seeing death regularly make it more palatable? Probably not. But it does highlight the importance of making sure it is a life well lived. This probably means different things to different people. To me it means sharing love, shining my light, spreading happiness, whether to my children, clients or friends.
Notes From Real Life 