Growing old is a privilege

Growing old is a privilege. Why do we have to be given a death sentence to truly start living?

These are two lines from one of my favorite series on TV, The Big C. I love this show because it is about life and death. The reality of life and death. The reality of a family struggling to come to terms with the fact that the center of their family. The nucleus of their family has been diagnosed with a terminal illness and she is going to die one day.

It’s about acceptance and denial. About love and living. Death and grief. And I believe Laura Linney is excellent as the main character Cathy. The drama that unfolds on the show is often hidden behind humor because death is something that is so very hard for us all to accept. So the show portrays dealing with death through humor so we can be eased into it. I believe they do this to help us to accept the finality of death because in a warped way we believe we can beat it. Cheat it. That it will somehow pass us by.

But if there is one thing we are guaranteed to do, it is to die. We are dying every single day of our lives. Each day we wake up living and breathing is a privilege we take for granted. Instead some of us complain when we see our bodies changing. Complain about growing old.  Rather than embracing the fact that we have lived long enough to see our bodies changing. To grow old.

There are so many people who would have loved to have seen their bodies changing but because they were struck down with a terminal illness. Killed in a random attack. Murdered in a senseless way. Killed in a horrible accident. Or taken their own lives because life became too much for them to bear. They never had the privilege of growing old. Of changing.

Leaving behind those of us to pick up and mend the broken pieces.  Reminding  those of us who remain, to look at life as a gift. A treasure. A present from the Universe to make that decision that could change our lives forever. To help us to finally understand and accept that we are the privileged ones who have one more minute to make that change. One more minute to breathe and appreciate the abundance in our lives just by breathing. Just by waking up. Just by being present. Grateful.

To those of us privileged ones, we don’t have to wait to be given a death sentence to appreciate the lives we have. The lives we could be living. The lives we are living. Have lived and will live. When we understand we are the privileged ones, we appreciate every aspect of our lives – the good and the bad, the dark and the light, the joy and the sadness. Because we know we are still alive and well when we are experiencing these emotions. We know we have been given more time to be present in our lives. To enjoy the rollercoaster ride of life.

Today is Monday, the beginning of a whole new work week for the majority of us. The beginning of a whole new beginning and I am so looking forward to taking advantage of waking up this morning and beginning a whole new beginning. Of really living my life and appreciating all I have. Appreciating every breath I take.  Because there are so many who did not have this privilege today. So many and to them I say rest in  peace and thanks for reminding me just how short life really is. For reminding me how I must live my life as long and as wide as I possibly can.

Remembering always growing old is a privilege. And I don’t have to be given a death sentence to truly live my life. Because I know every day I am getting closer to the end of my life so I am going to live and love every single moment that I am alive. Enjoying the present of being present in every aspect of my life. Namaste.