Life is a blink, don't miss it. Rejoice in it.

[aimeekitty]

I don't normally post stuff like this, but I'm going to post this because it really moved me. Someone wrote into a radio talk show,... I feel like it echoes a lot of what I've been thinking about lately, about how fragile life is, and how horrible it is to waste it or spend it stuck in a negative loop.

Let's not forget Ferris Bueller:
"Life goes by pretty fast.
If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."


Here is the letter:

"My brother was diagnosed with cancer at the ripe age of 15. In a 6 year period, he would undergo 14 operations, which included bone replacements, brain surgery and a leg amputation...

Upon reflection, I considered the decision that my brother made at 15 and kept the rest of his life which ended at 22. He would relish and rejoice in absolutely every second of life that he could. He wanted laughter - not tears. Between operations, with his body in various stages of decomposition, his mind would only become more clear, determined and focused.
Life is to be lived.

When something he loved was taken from him, he would simply find other things to enjoy. When he could no longer walk without the aid of crutches, he took up fishing. He and his friends would go in a small boat in the lake. There, nothing would escape his thirst from life. Like a child experiencing something for the first time, he would notice and enjoy all that the experience had to offer, the lake, the trees, the ripples on the water, the serenity, the joy of the catch. Most of all he would enjoy the company of the people he was with.

When he could no longer fish, he would go for drives. Friends and family would take him to view beautiful mountaintops, white-capped rivers, deep winding back-roads and woods filled with colored trees. I remember going to mount baker once. From the mountain top we had a perfect vantage point. the sky was deep blue with scattered clouds, the snow glistened... and he stared at it for a long time memorizing every crevice and ridge, knowing deep down that this would be the last time he would see it. A slow smile would come to his lips as he'd look at me and say, "Isn't it beautiful...?"
Recognizing the beauty of my brother who loved me and life unconditionally, I said, "yes."

When he could no longer go for these rides he would enjoy the company of those closest to him. Those who gathered in his room, around him, telling jokes. It sounded more like a party than the room of a dying boy.

Carl was born on Feb 3rd, he died on Feb 23rd. 22 years after his birth. Feb is the month that I most think of him. His gift, initially lost in grief, slowly revealed itself to me through reflection. I was taught by someone 7 years my junior. He lived life moment to moment, squeezed every juicy drop from a fruit that many would have considered dry. And never missed an opportunity to connect or laugh. It is to date the most extraordinary lesson I have ever had the privilege of witnessing.

I approach each day as he did with the type of wonderment and childlike amazement. I enjoy small moments, hug my children and those I love, and most of all, I am thankful. thankful for one more day, one more hour, one more moment."

Comments

[pogo101.livejournal.com]

I'm sexier than Matthew Broderick, dammit.

/insecure

[akanepanda.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[little-teacup.livejournal.com]

Thank you for sharing that. It's so important to remember and also so easily taken for granted...

[thundermew.livejournal.com]

That's beautiful.

[yaso-khuul.livejournal.com]

Thanks for sharing.

[bluejeans07.livejournal.com]

A childhood friend of mine passed away a few weeks ago and it was a huge revelation for me, like this letter. Life is fragile and sometimes unfair, so enjoy it, and look at and admire the things and the people around you.

[enigmadoll.livejournal.com]

I'd like to live as if every moment was my last but sometimes I get so caught up in everyday things that I forget to enjoy those very things.

Something like this reminds me to stop and look around me...

[ggsdolls.livejournal.com]

Aimee,

Truly a beautiful story! We need to all live this way...Thank you for sharing it. many hugs from Guam, gg

[gally99.livejournal.com]

That was beautiful. Thank you for sharing!
*saves*

[ruratai.livejournal.com]

Thank you for sharing this.

[dave-iii.livejournal.com]

I was particularly moved by the running theme in the recent Disney movie "Meet the Robinsons", being "Let go of the past and Keep Moving Forward". As you say, life's too short to let yourself get dragged down by all the bad stuff, just let it go and work towards a better tomorrow.

Too many people go out of their way to be unhappy, intentionally. That can't be healthy. ^_^

[padawansguide.livejournal.com]

I really admire that kind of attitude. To appreciate what you still have instead of what you don't.

[snapdragon76.livejournal.com]

That is so beautiful and profound. And so very true.