
Posted on Jun 5, 2012 in Personal Coaching, Reflections | 0 comments
“Life is a brief excursion; death is always the destiny.” – Graham Woodhouse
I remember many years ago standing at a classroom window overlooking a day care centre watching children at play in the yard. A person was standing next to me and for some reason the conversation drifted to a discussion about death. I shared with her that that I had been a volunteer at a local hospice. Her response was, “Oh, that must be really depressing.” Still looking out the window, I replied, “No, for me working in a day care would be depressing.” Each of us is drawn to different aspects of life. Death has been a great teacher for me.
I didn’t used to think about death and dying much. This changed when as a young man I visiting a dear uncle who was dying of cancer in a hospital some distance from where I lived. I felt awkward and didn’t know what to say to him. He passed away not long after my visit and I was never able to tell him that I loved him or that I was grateful that he had been in my life. My first experience of someone close to me dying had closed me down. Afterwards, feeling ashamed, I made up my mind not to repeat the experience.
The passing of my uncle was what led me to involvement in hospice work. Since then I have learned that keeping death as part of my life is a very valuable tool. Keeping in mind that life is indeed short and that each day is a blessing, reminds me to focus on what is important. Who is most precious to me and how have I treated them today? What do I really want to accomplish with my time here on earth? Taking death into consideration helps me feel more alive and more involved in living.
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