Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Contemplating One's Own Mortality

It seems that the older one gets, the faster their days fly by … At least that’s the way it seems to me. It is also quickly becoming apparent to me that the faster my days fly by, the frailer I get. Over the past year, my joints have become stiffer, my muscles ache much more and my oesophagus acts up after a heavy meal … Not a good thing!

I have recently been observing this in the lives of my parents as well. My mother has been walking with two canes for over a year now and my father is succumbing to the early stages of Alzheimer’s.

We spend a lifetime in trying to stay healthy and yet mortality accelerates at a faster pace than we do! I suppose that all we can do is our best to try to outrun what we will never be able to outrun … Death. To the best of my knowledge, nobody has succeeded and no one ever will.

Now that I am TOTALLY depressed, I think I will get the hot pack and soothe this nagging ankle of mine … How depressing!

Maybe tomorrow will be a better day …

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm 32 and my immune system is attacking my own body. Each week consists of a minimum of at least 1 test and 1 blood draw or Dr. visit. Each round rules out some possiblities and opens the door to new ones.

Autoimmune diseases are very difficult to diagnose, I have been tested for all the "treatable" diseases, now I am being tested for the "non-treatable, but liviable disease", like MS, on Friday I will find out if a diagnosis has been made or if we start testing for "terminal diseases".

All of these types of diseases have "No known cause" and yet they affect millions of people.

I can't sit around here waiting to die and neither can you. We just have to appreciate each day as they come and try to make the most of them, weak muscles and all. Now take an Aleve and an extra foamy Chai tea latte soldier and march on.
-P

Monika said...

I feel the same way, time goes by too quickly, each day faster and faster,it seems. I don't want to go to sleep, because I don't want to miss anything. Getting older sucks, but you can only do SO much to stay healthy. It IS depressing, but nevertheless, I like to enjoy each and every day. We all know what awaits us in the end, don't we. ;o)

Jo said...

Dave, I feel that way sometimes too. The clock seems to tick louder. What we have to do is just live until we die. Keep doing all the wonderful things we always loved doing. There is a wonderful saying that I love, "Never forget what it's like to be 16."

Josie

y.Wendy.y said...

Oh blimey. I wake up, get my coffee, open Bloglines, settle in for a good read...and all I find are deep and depressing posts.

I'm going back to bed. Pah. ;)

CS said...

Wow, glad I read this first this in the morning! Seriously, life is too short to spend much time worrying ahead about dying. It will get here when it gets here, I want to just be as alive as I can until then.

Janice Thomson said...

Having just recently been diagnosed with kidney failure and no living relative with the right kidney mortality is a subject close at hand but I enjoy each day, pain or no, as if it was my last. There is always something to smile about if I look hard enough :) Hope the spring sun lifts your spirits quickly! :)

Jazz said...

Meh, you know? My mom, wise woman that she is, told me once that there's only one fair thing in the world and it's that everyone dies.

We're all gonna reach the end, and for me, that's exactly what makes life all the more worth living fully.

Lone Grey Squirrel said...

I have had to face up to my mortality before and at that time I was scared. Since then, my faith in God and my belief that heaven awaits has made that fear diminish.

On this topic, two thoughts come to mind.

First is a saying, "Once you are over the hill, you pick up speed." Gee, I hope I didn't depress you further Dave. Haha. For me the saying is amusing but probably true too. I am about the same age as you, I think so we're probably in the same cart going downhill and picking up speed!!!

The lesson is to recognise the shortness of time and to make the best use of it. In fact, any one of us could die tomorrow. This evening, someone I know who was actively engaged in conversations yesterday is unconscious in hospital because of a stroke.

The second saying is "If I have but one wish in this life, it is to die happy. Cause if I die happy, it must mean I have lived well and have no regrets how I have spent my life." My philosophy is to try to make sure I die happy and that actually helps guide how I live.

Hopefully the second saying was more positive. :)

Dave said...

Hi Proxima!... Though I do take note at my impending frailty, I by no means look at it as an impending death. I actually am living at a younger rate than most of my younger friends. I love life and try to live it to the fullest. I may have seemed like a gloom of doom person in my post but I am actually a lot lively. I just tend to sometimes focus on the frailty of life because it is a part of all of us and ingnoring it won't make it disappear. I truly hope that all goes well with your tests! :-)

By the way... Chai tea Latte! I love the stuff but I actually order it without the foam! :-) All the best Proxima!

Hi Monika!... I too love life... A little to much people tell me!!! LOL
Regarding sleep... I don't get enough of it! :-)

Hi Josie!...I have forgotten what it was like when I was 16 because I am having more fun now that I am 46! :-)

Hey Wendz!...Okay! Okay! Sorry for getting you all depressed! :-)

Tomorrow's blog is not as depressing... Well.. Not for me at least! :-)

Hi csl!...You and me both! Living! What a great gift! :-)

Hi Janice!... It is a blessing to read your words considering your prediciment... You have a great outlook on life... I wish you all the best... Things have a strange way of turning out though so do not give up. Let me know how it goes please. :-)

Hi Jazz!...Dying? Fair? Well, it's only fair to me if I live to be 100!! LOL

Hi LGS!...It is amazing how our frailty brings God into focus in our lives. He certainly is there for us. I am glad you have discovered that. Take care LGS!

Anonymous said...

New post please!!!!! There's no bridge between me and Patience you know.

-P :D

Cheryl said...

I love how Proxima speaks her mind!

My Mom had a stroke. My Dad had a head injury. Oy vey? Going to the estate planner today was a great thing. We were able to talk candidly about how to take care of my parent's needs as they change. It's hard to imagine that we'll all be getting old and our bodies will fail us. I hope I can continue to stay the optimistic person I am today.

Janice Thomson said...

Thank you Dave for your kind words and for your care and concern. Life goes on and I will enjoy every new bud, every little bird and every star in the sky till my last breath for that's just the way it is. Thanks again.