We got into an odd discussion about mortality this morning in kickboxing class.
It started with someone mentioning a relative who was hospitalized, and how it was freaky to hear the doctor ask about their "living will." And from there, how it feels to find out you are facing possible death.
I said, "You know, I've only had a couple of brushes with that. It turned out to be minor incidents, but it was terrifying at first. And it was a real wake-up call."
Everyone nodded sagely, and then one person said, "Yeah, we realized we needed to get WILLS." And someone else said, "Yeah, and make funeral arrangements." They went on to say, "It's amazing what a load off your mind it is to take care of that."
Well, gosh, I was thinking more along the lines of living your best life right NOW, but okay.
My wake-up call resulted in me becoming the artist I'd always dreamed of being. My second one made me slow down and smell the roses after I'd ramped that dream up a little TOO hard.
I guess not all wake-up calls are alike.
I remember one woman years ago talking about settling her mother's estate--Her mother was an artist and a packrat, like me--and how difficult and time-consuming it was. "Don't do that to your children!" she admonished me fiercely.
I then related this story to an older woman, saying I should really get my possessions under control so my kids wouldn't have to deal with them when I died, and she exclaimed, "Why would YOU care? You'll be dead! They can set a match to it for all you'll care!" She said it with good humor and spunk, and I laughed. I took it in the spirit she meant it--life is too short to take on a lot more housecleaning.
My point in this today is not whether you should clean your house today, but whether, to you, your wake-up call means preparing for an organized and orderly death--or getting busy on living your fullest, richest, messiest life.
