Celebrate life

Day twenty-eight: Today I learned that an old friend of mine finally succumbed to the cancer she had been fighting for years. I’ve known her for a long time, we were friends even though we were never that close - we talked a lot but never went to each other’s houses. But I cared for her and I was saddened, deeply saddened, to hear of her passing.

Life gives no promises, every day is a gift. This woman lived every day like that from the moment she was first diagnosed. She was always upbeat, always cheerful (almost always anyway), always positive. She lived with regular chemotherapy for years, facing each challenge one step at a time. She was sunshine, every single time I saw her.

People battling life threatening illnesses do so with a stoicism and fortitude that humbles me. I knew another woman living with ovarian cancer. She refused to give up, right to the very end. I saw her one day at the local shopping centre. Her face grey with pain she was leaning on a shopping trolley as though it was the only thing stopping her from falling – I have no doubt that it was. But when she saw me she straightened up and walked towards me as though every step was not causing her pain, a lovely and genuine smile lighting up her face. She died not long after and I will never forget that smile.

When we are young life stretches out ahead of us, we never think of it ending. The invulnerability of youth - death happens but not to us. Yet so many people do not finish their journey of life, they fall off the rainbow road. Unlike Mario Karts, they don’t get another life to try again. Old age is a blessing given to few, it should not be something we try to hide with cosmetic surgery and various potions, it should be celebrated.  

I used to dread growing old, while at the same time never considering that I may not be given a chance to hate my aging body. The stigma placed on the aging and elderly is another indication that this world has its priorities all wrong. Older people should be considered national treasures and treated as such. Everyone has a story, and the older you become the more stories you have. Older people have the wisdom of having learned from their mistakes. They have the wisdom of accumulated years. We should honour our aged, and look after them.

Life has many twists and turns and nothing stays the same. And, nobody gets out alive. We all have something to learn from the people staring down the barrel of death and refusing to surrender. We should all live with grace, strength, humour, and gratitude for each and every day. I say this over and over – life is not what you have, it’s not your bank account or your shoe collection. Life is what you experience - being with loved ones, watching the sunrise and sunset. Life is smelling something wonderful cooking for dinner, the loving head boop of a cat, the adoring eyes of a dog, the hug of a child, the gentle kiss of a spouse. Life is for living and experiencing, it is to be celebrated with all of our senses. We are blessed if we do not suffer from life threatening illnesses and we should all be grateful, every single day.