A dear friend recently said to me he’s started looking at his life in a new way and asking himself:
How many summers do I have left?
At first I was a bit taken aback as I found it a little morose. Contemplating the rest of our life in such a way brought the concept of death a little too close for my liking. But the consideration stayed with me as a gentle echo in the back of my mind. Today I am sadly going to the funeral of a family member, someone who passed far too young, leaving behind so many loved ones, including a daughter who’s still a child. Though I hadn’t seen this person for a while, she was always in my heart and I loved her from afar. And whenever you learn of someone young passing (she was only 51), it brings us face to face with our own mortality.
And so this question resurfaced during my morning practices and meditation. Strangely enough, this time it was a little less morose. I found myself being grateful for the summer we are in, despite the bad weather, despite so many awful things happening in the year, I’ve had many beautiful moments and each ray of sunshine on my skin has been most welcome. This morning as I opened the garden door I could start to feel an autumnal freshness to the air. Another summer drawing to a close, at least here in Britain. Perhaps we’ll have an Indian summer. Perhaps not. But one thing is for sure - I am very grateful for every moment I have, and I do intend on asking myself these kinds of questions more, not to fear the finite nature of life, but to embrace every living moment and make the most of it.
Love and Live as much as you can. Dance when the opportunity arises. Play music and sing with all your heart. Move your body and get out into nature. Hug and embrace your loved ones. Simple things which bring such joy.
