Gosh, it's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind and the busyness of life! And, if you're from a culture that's anything like mine, we're somewhat allergic to talking about death.
The inevitable. The thing we cannot escape. That which will claim us all, sooner or later.
And because so many of us avoid thinking about or talking about death like it's the worst topic on earth, we miss out on the value this topic brings with it:
How to live well
In my mind, part of learning how to live well is knowing what's truly important to you. What do you value? How do you want to spend your spare days, hours, moments?
And, as this week's prompt asks, what do you want to be remembered for?
This is a photo I took this morning. It might seem like a strange thing to share in this particular post, but let me explain.
This is a humble, numbered, plastic token. One is handed to each runner and walker as they cross the finish line at their parkrun of choice on a Saturday morning.
While I've done literally 300+ parkrun at 170+ locations, I couldn't give two hoots if anyone remembers my parkrun achievements after I die.
It was the number that got my attention this morning: Number 45.
See, 45 is the number of the strongest energy in my birth chart (aka 'Human Design' chart). It is the thing I'm here to do.
Everyone has a number between 1-64 and mine just happens to be the number 45.
45 is the archetype of the leader
But not just any kind of leader, this is the kind of leadership energy you're born with. Like the Queen or King, it's a role one is simply born to play.
It's 'rulership' energy and it can be expressed through dominating othera, hoarding all the resources and ruling 'the people' through coercion and control.
Clearly, I don't want to be anything like that. Thankfully, there's a much healthier expression of this and that's what I'm aiming for in this life.
That ruler is one who takes responsibility for 'looking after all the people'. S/he is wants to make sure everyone has access to resources, including education and they want nothing more than for their 'tribe' to succeed.
When I'm not longer in this body and my soul has moved onto wherever it's going next, I want to have lived as that second kind of leader.
May I be remembered for my fairness, my kindness, my inclusion and my grace.
Our culture is so odd that way...
I grew up with a single mom, who was a nursing matron at a frail care facility. We did not have money for aftercare, although I did go for some time, when I was old enough, I would just walk home, but I would very often spend entire days there. Sometimes nights too... you would think that would have prepared me better for death, right?
Nope.
My mother always ushered me out of sight when residents passed on and she made sure I never saw a dead body. I think this methodology of hers actually fueled my absolute paranoia of death. Like if a pet passed away, I was physically incapable of looking at or touching it's body. No matter how much I loved t. And this carried on into adulthood, until I became a parent... and more recently, lost my father.
I have had to be the adult at the vet and stand next to a companion I have loved and fight feelings of betrayal as I allow my loved one to pass peacefully to the other side.
I am not saying death would hurt less, but at least if we embraced certain cultural practices that celebrate, embrace and remember the dead - not obsessively - but as a natural part of being. Much like the Native Americans, or the Mexican Day of the dead, which we have actually started to celebrate in our home. Remembering loved ones, even the furry ones who have passed.
Yeah, we're kind of rubbish at facing and embracing death in our so-called 'western' cultures, hey?
Big !HUG for your heart when you think about those who have passed. xxx
Yeah, absolutely. I was completely unprepared - emotionally and physically to deal with my own father's passing. It was a terrible shock to the system. I don't know why we don't prepare our children better. Perhaps our generation will be better than the ones preceding us...
!LUV
!LADY
!HUG
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A good number of people do wish to be remembered for one or two things and I truly admire yours.
Being remembered for one's kindness even in the littlest acts is one of the many things I would love to be remembered for as well.
Hi there! Your reply was kind so I think you're already doing it =)
In my own little way, yes 🙂
We definitely need to live life with a sense of justice and love for the people we love, because in the end, they're the ones who will remember us. Not everyone thinks about that, and it is important in a way, even though we'll all be gone and won't even realize it. Thanks for sharing!...
Indeed!