JOURNAL | Life and Death... and Something in Between

Life and Death... and Something in Between

These past few days, I've been itching to write about- life and death. As I've told myself, It's not like I'm going to die any time soon but we really can't tell right. It can happen to anybody. Death is as real as the air we breathe. We just try to avoid talking about it because we're afraid. Or probably because it's morbid. But for whatever reason, death and dying has not been a very popular topic.


Funny I would talk about this at the start of the year. It's just that whenever I go out and see the sky, I am reminded of mankind's fleeting existence. One moment we're here, the other we're not. The ironic thing is, because people have been accustomed to living, most of us forget how valuable life is. We take things for granted because there is no sense of urgency in it. One might even say that things will always be there and he can go back to it any time he wants to.

But what if you learn that your life is coming to an end soon?
How would things change then?

There's the proverbial saying "live life to the fullest" which has become so passe. How does one live life to the fullest would be a good follow up question. I guess, living life to the fullest is being able to appreciate all the good things that are happening to your life be it small or big. It's being able to be satisfied with what you currently have.

When I was young, I used to dream of so many things- big house, car, automatic appliances, telephone, computer, piano, swimming pool, etc. At some point, I'd say that my parents were able to provide these things. But there was no happiness with it. It only made me want to look for more. Now I know what "power begets power" means. The more you have, the more you want. This kind of life is a never ending quest for material things that strays you from the real things that would give meaning to your existence.

You would say that I am probably the shallowest person on Earth, but amidst the high-tech laptops and DSLR's I was able to provide myself from working abroad, by far the fresh air in the morning when I walk to the office, the colorful flowers I see on the side road, the varied species of birds that fly are actually the things that make me most happy. Drinking my coffee on a cold January afternoon, reading my new novels before I go to bed, and peaceful sleep give me reason to think that I am so blessed.

Material things make me happy. At least temporarily. But the best things in life are free so they say.