November 1, 2010

Seen in an email from Pulse, voices from the heart of medicine: "Who hasn't had the shocking experience of laughing in the face of tragedy? At first it feels wrong wrong wrong. But what a gift it can be, giving us the strength to gather ourselves and carry on. I'll never forget that evening in my late sister's bedroom as we gathered to choose her burial outfit, the fragile hilarity that erupted and the doubts that arose the next day. This is a slice of life most of us will never see."

I read obituaries every morning, just to know if anyone I know in Greensboro has passed on. It’s an odd habit but one that is important to me, so that I can write my thoughts to any family I know. So this little paragraph particularly struck me, as an interesting image of what we think about in facing death.

For me, death has always been a happy occurrence, a time to celebrate life. Laughter should absolutely be a part of a death remembrance. And it makes me think about how joyous I want my death to be. Yes, that is in a way a morbid thought. But think about it: Life is good and, oddly enough, it may be that death will be even better … who is to say? I pray that I live in joy, now and (hopefully) forever.