my last

Does “living every day as though it were your last” require the knowledge of impending death? So often we speak of having a simple life, prioritized around people, that develops an appreciation of the little things. Such a life leaves no room for fear or anxiety. Worry is not an element of the formula. Any cloud imposed by the reminder that death ends the day would in effect be the ruin of happiness.

The truth is, if we knew a particular date were our last, we may likely spend it being simple and relaxed… but those around us would not. The ideal, instead, is to live every day as though it could be your last. Once the assurance of death’s arrival is made known, then you cease living, and begin dying.

I see myself preparing for death. Saying goodbye. Easing minds. Praying.

The Imminence of Death is a promise enabling us to appreciate the temporal world while it is. Because we may none of us escape the Imminent, it is imperative that we live every day as though it were our last. However, since such living is contingent on uncertainty, it can only be possible until it becomes time to prepare for death.

For this reason, I hope my death is unannounced. That no one who loves me would bear the burden of counting down my last days. Instead I pray each one would treat every day as though it were their last. My last. For if they knew my end was approaching, I fear they would begin to mourn before I had ceased to live every day as though it were my last.