Appreciation

If I died tomorrow (fear not dear reader, this writer will be writing the day after tomorrow!) I can say in all truthfulness, “I’ve had a great life”. You may say in disbelief, “But your stammer, depression and your Parkinson’s?! You don’t have children. You’ve never been married. You have been lonely, frustrated, lost!”

These things are true. But they do not dismantle my life. I love and spend time with some extraordinary people. I continue to explore the wonderful complexities of life and my place in this world. I feel privileged to inhabit my mind and to have access to the knowledge, experience and wisdom I have accumulated. I have absorbed some remarkable art, music and ideas; I enjoy the challenge and thrive on provocation and exploring different intellectual landscapes.

It is true that in death all this will fade away. But I can say, “I lived my existence to the best of my ability; I tried…” Thinking about what I will lose when I die makes me think of the extraordinary gifts and opportunities I have at this very moment (despite my problems and difficulties). Because life is robustly fragile we should live at the edge of our present and continue to learn and develop. Looking far into the distant future increases the risk of tripping over something in the present and falling off the edge of life without actually living a life.

Appreciate all that we were thrown into this world with and enjoy the process (and not just the goals) of life.