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| Elizabeth D. Johnson Legal Assistant |
Growing up, you never truly think
about getting old - which is strange because you obviously know that people get
old. Your parents are old, your grandparents are really old, some have even passed away along with the other
relatives you never got to meet. For me, I never actually felt like that was
going to happen to me but I do remember the shift in reality when it finally
hit me...oh damn, I'm going to DIE one day?!? That sucks!
I used to have panic attacks just
thinking about death until I started my current job. In short, we prepare
people for death and help those whose loved ones have passed, so I either had
to come to terms with it or let my boss know I'd be in the fetal position every
afternoon from 12-3. So, even though I'm only 28, I have already started to
accept death. Obviously, if some voodoo doctor comes along and tells me they
have a concoction for everlasting life, I will for sure gulp it down like Meryl
Streep in Death Becomes Her. Considering that doesn't seem to be happening any
time soon, I've decided I must to come to terms with the fact that we all have
to die one day, and yeah it does suck, but what can you do?
As I'm nearing the age of 30, I'm
realizing just how short life can be. Some have not been as lucky as I am to
live even this far, and people take life for granted every day. I still take
life for granted every day. None of the trivial things should matter. What
should matter is the fact that I have all of these wonderful people in my life,
who care about me. I have a roof over my head and food to eat and a car that
doesn't break down constantly. While the goals that I set in the past now
actually have deadlines, I should feel grateful to even have goals. No one
knows what happens after you die and it is up to you what you believe, but
regardless you can't put things off. You are fragile, your loved ones are
fragile. Tell everyone how much you love them, or how much you hate them - just
tell people how you feel!
People will leave your life all the
time - whether it’s a fight that wasn't worth resolving, someone moving away,
or you know…dying, so it's important to remind yourself every day that you are
not invincible like your 13-year-old self once thought. Work hard at making
yourself happy and making the people around you happy. Go outside more,
meditate, eat carbs, and try not to die yet.
